NAIROBI (Halbeeg)- Kenya will have to withdraw its troops from Somalia if Kenya’s parliament approves a petition filed by Mandera East lawmaker.
Omar Moalim alias Sala has submitted the petition seeking the order to pull out Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
The petition was filed on June 25 and will be formally presented when the House resumes from its two-week recess.
The petition states that the forces should be deployed along Somalia-Kenya to secure the border.
Mr. Sala who served the deputy governor of Mandera County said the purpose of the initial deployment of KDF to Somalia was achieved.
“We are concerned this objective is no longer being achieved, with Kenya suffering more terror attacks from al Shabaab than before,” Mr. Sala said.
The lawmaker acknowledged that Al-Shabab attacks on police stations, vehicles and religious gatherings increased since Kenyan troops entered Somalia.
According to Sala, the attacks resulted in loss of lives and properties.
He cited the 2013 Westgate attack that claimed 67 lives, Mpeketoni attacks of 2014 where 60 people were butchered and the 2015 Garissa University attack where 149 students were killed.
Omar said the move to put KDF under the African Union Mission in Somalia has worsened the situation as Kenyan soldiers lost control of deployment of troops in Somalia.
“The secondary effects of the terror attacks have included the decline of health, education, economy and living standards due to desertion by health workers, teachers and other migrant workers,” he stated.
Kenya sent its troops to Somalia in 2011 under the Operation Linda Nchi initiative.
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