Aden Duale clarifies remark on terror

By Geoffrey Mosoku
Sunday, April 13, 2014

advertisements

Leader of Majority in National Assembly Aden Duale has come out to clarify the content of his speech at Eastleigh a week ago on the ongoing security operation. Duale says that reports appearing in the local media that he suggested to terrorists that they should attack elsewhere and not the Eastleigh area are misleading.

Speaking to the Standard from London where he is accompanying President Uhuru Kenyatta, the majority leader however confirmed that he told Al-shaabab to go and throw grenades in their country (Somali) and not in Kenya. “Why is someone listening to that clip selectively?

I told the residents to help police in arresting suspects who are targeting our people. I asked why terrorism is targeting places such as Eastleigh, Garissa and Machakos,” he said. Duale added; “Let them (militants) go and blow up their country and leave our people in peace. This was my position.”

The leader of majority has been under pressure by colleagues especially from TNA who want him replaced for criticizing the government operation that is concentrating in Eastleigh, a suburb dominated by members of his ethnic community. But a defiant Duale has dismissed his critics and reiterated that he will not relent in fighting for the rights of his people just like all leaders are expected.

On Friday, Duale said that as a senior figure in the Jubilee administration, he will mobilize all Kenyans to support the state in combating terrorism in the interest of national security and stability of the nation. However, just like Muslim leaders, the Garissa Township MP says the exercise should be conducted in a manner that does not appear to be targeting one community and harassing innocent civilians.

The operation has since seen the arrest of over 3,000 suspects in swoops carried mainly in Nairobi with 82 illegal immigrants having been deported. ODM party has also come out to lash at the government operation describing it as akin to ethnic profiling and return to concentration camps which are similar to events of the colonial times and world war 2.

Home
Email

Hiiraan Online