Raila wants KDF withdrawn from Somalia

The former Prime Minister who addressed members of the Somali community in Eastleigh said the continued stay of Kenya Defence Forces soldiers in Somalia is hurting Kenyans.

“It is high time the Government should evaluate whether there is any reason to still have our soldiers at Somalia. Does their continued stay in Somali bring peace to our country?” he posed.“We went there because there were many attacks then by the thugs.”

President Uhuru Kenyatta has insisted that he has no intention of withdrawing the troops from the war torn country until they accomplish their mission.

Kenyan forces that are now fighting under the AMISOM command moved into Somalia in 2011 and have continued to boast of major success in neutralising the Al Shabaab militia.

Odinga also challenged the Government to enhance security instead of launching ad-hoc operations that are allegedly targeted at one community.

“The kind of operation we saw here was discriminatory; this should not happen,” he argued.

The Usalama Watch operation has seen over 2,000 people arrested and screened with more than 200 being deported to their countries for lack of legal documents.

Explosive materials and illegal fire arms were recovered but critics of the operation argue it was targeted at the Somali community.


The operation was mainly carried out at Eastleigh in Nairobi and in some parts of the coast region mostly in Mombasa County.