Hiiraan Online

Opposition leaders says Somali border wall a waste of funds

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by Olivia Odhiambo
Sunday, April 12, 2015

Kenya: A section of opposition leaders have faulted the government move to construct a wall along her border with Somali over terror attacks.

They said that the move by government was a waste of funds and inability to come up with a proper solution of fighting terrorism in the country. Speaking in Bondo on Friday during the launch of identification (IDs) and voter registration cards campaign, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders maintained that the government had failed on security matters.

Condemning the decision of the government, Siaya county Governor Cornel Rasanga said the insecurity issue was initiated by the national government. Rasanga noted that the information flow on security matters was not efficient in the country at all stating that the wall is a chance to embezzle funds. "They should have a human wall of soldiers. Let them come and line at the border day in and out to ensure security. Withdrawing the troops should be viewed as a technical retreat to organize the forces and not a failure," said Rasanga.

Rasanga added: ''There are two wars being fought. As KDF is still fighting unconventional war, alshabab are fighting guerilla war. That is something the government should look at." Bondo MP Oburu Oginga said that erecting a wall along the borders was a political decision and not intended to solve the serious security problem in the country. "This is pure corruption. Some of these things are brewed from Kenya and it is going to be difficult to help fight terrorism if Alshabaab is being brewed within the Kenyan boundaries," he said.

Oburu maintained that the solution of fighting terrorism was to withdraw the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from Somali. Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda warned North Eastern leaders that the ountry is watching how things are unfolding and it may soon turn out to be bad. "These people have strong indications on the people involved in terrorist acts, from the way they are talking. We have been respecting the process of integration of communities in this country.

It is not going to be easy for the rest of the country to integrate well with them. We want to integrate cohesively with our cushite brothers from the North but they have to give information on terrorism," said Ochanda.