Friday, May 20, 2016
President Uhuru Kenyatta flags off heavy machinery to officially launch the Elwak-Rhamu road in Mandera County on May 19, 2016. Photo/PSCU
The wall the Government is building along the Kenya-Somalia border is not aimed at deterring movements of people but to enhance security, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
President Kenyatta, who was accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto on a development tour of the North Eastern region on Thursday, said the government was committed to peace and stability in the country.
“There is nothing wrong with Kenya and Somalia establishing a common border entry point. This will help check on people who want to engage in activities which threaten peace in the two countries” President Kenyatta said.
He made the remarks during a leaders meeting and later while addressing a public baraza in Mandera stadium.
The President said there were no plans to divide Kenyans and the people of Somalia.
“We have no any plans at all to divide the people of Somalia and the people of Kenya. We just want to ensure our people engage in internationally accepted standards of businesses, nothing else,” he said.
The head of state thanked the people of Northern Kenya for working closely with security agents in containing terrorism among other criminal activities.
“It is because of this reason that I strongly commend leaders and residents for working with security agents in preaching peace,” he added.
He said it was through teamwork and unity among leaders that challenges facing the region could be solved.
“As leaders we should take a leading role in uniting our people besides preaching peace at all times. Development will be elusive if there is no peace,” he added.
The President said Jubilee was committed to ensuring improved infrastructural development of the region to ease movement of goods and services.
He said that in order to address the teacher shortage in the area, the government will construct a teacher training college that will start admitting students by August this year.
President Kenyatta said as a measure to contain the problem of perennial flooding in the region, the government will use Sh100 million to check on floods.
The head of state said another Sh2.8 billion will be used to improve sewerage system as well as provision of water for domestic and irrigation purposes.
He issued 9,000 title deeds to the residents of Mandera saying the government was committed to ensuring problems of land ownership across the country were solved.
The President also presented an award to the wife of Salim Abdi, a former primary school teacher who was shot and wounded by terrorists for standing with his fellow Christians during an attack in a bus in Mandera last year.
Mr. Abdi later died while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
While commenting on the issue of IEBC, Deputy President William Ruto said the government would not allow officers to be forcefully removed from office against the Constitution.
“The moment we start to believe in the law of the jungle, we stop being a nation of that obeys the rule of law,” Ruto said.