Kenya’s security agencies working hard to maintain peace

The news that the government recently thwarted planned attacks by the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab comes as a relief to many Kenyans.  During the Holy month of Ramadan, our Muslim brothers and sisters spend time in prayer and reflection. It is a sacred month of spending time with family and heightened holiness.  

But the terrorists had had other plans. Al-Shabaab, like many terrorist groups, thrives on public attention. With the media focusing on the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorist groups feel irrelevant.  

The reports indicate that the terrorists planned to abduct Kenyans around the border and hijack several government vehicles.

The attacks were thwarted through a joint effort between the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Members of the group have attempted to penetrate the ranks of the Somali government by serving in the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and establishing parallel administrative structures. The group purportedly aims to build a caliphate across Somalia and East Africa.

While Al-Shabaab seeks to take advantage of its country’s precarious situation by terrorising citizens. The Kenya government is leading the mission to build democracy and empower the neighbouring country.

Across Mogadishu and other Somali towns, the militants force residents to pay zakat (taxes), largely by setting up roadblocks on major routes in areas where the FGS has limited control.

The number one target of Al-Shabaab’s attacks and power struggle is Somalia’s own citizens. And the second biggest victim is the KDF and Kenyans. To restore peace in Somalia, Kenya’s leadership has a great responsibility to put an end to the terrorism.

It is in the best interest of Kenya’s foreign policy to have good relations with neighbours. Kenya has a duty to support Somalia in fighting terrorism. 

Kenyans have suffered many losses due to attacks from the Islamic group. While residents of northeastern counties are more familiar with the threat, residents of Nairobi also suffered last year in the DusitD2 attacks.

A lot more behind the scenes work goes into thwarting terrorist attacks than we can imagine. I salute the brave young men and women of the KDF and NIS for their role in fighting terror.

Improving regional stability and fighting terrorism has been a main goal of Jubilee government and the results have been positive.

Not many years ago, tribes within Kenya went to war with one another over politics, and Kenyans shed the blood of their fellow citizens.

But things here are a little different these days because the strength of our unity has never been stronger. The government has ensured that the past is behind us and the future is a new chapter.

Whether we are Christian, Muslim or Hindu, and no matter what tribe we come from, we are all Kenyans.

Our unity is the most powerful weapon we have. And as the coronavirus threatens to tear us apart, only one thing can stand in its way until we get a vaccine: supporting one another and a sense of community.