Hiiraan Online

Friday May 20, 2016
By Nicholas Sewe

President Uhuru Kenyatta.[Photo/electraila.co.ke]

The move has been criticised widely by human rights organisations, the UN and the European Union.

The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government has set up a 14–member taskforce, the National Taskforce on Repatriation of Refugees, whose role is to develop modalities, timelines and costs for the repatriation of refugees in Kenya, develop refugee management and control strategies during the period of repatriation as well as develop a verification criterion for refugees that will feed into a comprehensive database.

The diplomats from the 15–member Security Council will also discuss the situation in Somalia and the work of the African Union Mission to Somalia (Amisom) in Somalia, whose troop contributing countries are Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu Thursday evening said, “Amisom has considerably degraded the capability of Al-Shabaab and liberated large areas previously held by the group. Somaila is now safer than it has ever been in 25 years.”

He however revealed that Amisom forces have not liberated Gedo region, which has become a safe haven for Al-Shabaab and a launching pad for attacks against Kenyan troops and people along the common border with Somalia.

The President will discuss other Kenyan concerns about Amisom.

Among them is the lack of critical components necessary to achieve the strategic objective of stabilising Somalia, such as robust land, air and maritime capabilities and assets.

The President will then return to the North Eastern Region of the country, on day two of a three–day tour that will focus on Wajir County.