Kenya President urges unity to fight terrorism

Wednesday September 30, 2015

President Uhuru Kenyatta (left) and Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery at the opening session of the Leaders' Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism hosted by US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 30,2015.

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Unity will defeat terrorism across the world, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said. The President said the global community and individual nations must remain united to confront terrorism and violent extremism.

He said even though Kenya has borne the brunt of terrorist attacks, the country has stayed emboldened against the intentions of terrorism masterminds.

He said Kenyans had demonstrated remarkable support for the fight against terrorism.

“Despite numerous attacks, the response by our people and States has been the opposite of that intended by the violent extremists. Attacks have emboldened our resolve,” said the President in a speech delivered on his behalf by Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery.

The CS read the speech at a leaders’ summit on countering violent extremism convened by US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

President Kenyatta said Kenya is alive to the changing nature of the threat of terrorism and has devised better mechanisms to respond to it.

“We have reviewed our security laws, adopted a number of strategies to deal with terrorist threats and related international crimes that facilitate each other,” said the President.

COUNTER TERRORISM

He said Kenya is working closely with local, regional and international partners to counter terrorism and violent extremism.

He said Kenya looks forward to working closely with United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force to bolster its capabilities to deal with terrorism.

“At the bilateral level, I welcome the support received and pledged by a number of strategic partners, including the United States of America, and look forward to enhance these collaborative actions, as a basis for drawing on best practices,” said President Kenyatta.

The meeting on countering violent extremism was one of the several high-level security meetings President Kenyatta participated in during his visit to New York.

On Monday, President Kenyatta spoke at a high-level meeting on Somalia that brought together countries that contribute troops and police under the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).

He said the number of troops deployed by Amisom needs to be increased to defeat the terrorists, who continue to launch attacks in Somalia and are threatening Kenya.

The President called on the international community to support Amisom with required resources to fight the Al-Shabaab.

“Amisom needs sufficient resources to enable a surge that responds to practical military advice, to provide force multipliers in air and naval assets, and to increase stabilisation and developmental efforts in liberated areas,” he said.

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