Raila Odinga, the CORD leader, addressed a press conference at Serena Hotel regarding the current national security situation.
President Uhuru Kenyatta stated that the perpetrators of the Mpeketoni massacres were not Al Shabaab, claiming instead that the attacks were politically orchestrated. According to the President, the heightened political rhetoric of leaders and local political networks contributed to the planning and execution of the killings.
Odinga criticized the President's statement, calling it unfortunate and unjustified. He argued that it could compromise investigations into the attacks and may represent a rush to judgment.
Odinga pointed out that other countries and experts believe Al Shabaab was responsible for the attacks, and that the group never claims responsibility for actions it did not commit.
He also questioned the logic of the National Intelligence Service having prior knowledge of the attacks without taking decisive action.
Odinga cited a pattern of systematic killings in various parts of the country, including Bungoma, Busia, Samburu, and Tana River, where similar reasons and motives were given, but no successful prosecutions were pursued.
The Government has failed to prosecute the killers of over 21 Muslim leaders in the Coast region, and numerous attacks on passengers, hotels, restaurants, markets, and churches have occurred with impunity.
As the head of the National Security Council, the President oversees national security organs, including the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Intelligence Service, and the National Police Service. Odinga emphasized that the President and the Executive have the power and instruments to ensure peace and security, rather than engaging in blame games.
Odinga called for the law to take its course, with no one being spared in the pursuit of criminal gangs and terrorists.
He outlined several tasks for the Government to address in the security sector:
- Define and limit Kenya's military objectives in Somalia to prevent the war on terror from being fought within Kenya's borders.
- Overhaul and reconstitute Kenya's security organs to promote national security and ensure diverse recruitment.
- Establish an independent judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the Westgate terrorist attack and the Mpeketoni massacres.
- Replace key officials, including Cabinet Secretaries and principal secretaries for Defence and Internal Security.
