Kenya’s bid to win the war against militant group Al Shabaab is possible, Garissa County leaders have said, calling for concerted efforts in fighting the armed fighters.
Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, Governor Nathif Jama and former Parliament Deputy Speaker Faram Maalim said Kenya has no option but to win the war against the Somalia-based militant group in order to restore peace in parts of the country prone to terror attacks.
“The days of Al Shabaab are numbered,” Duale said in a meeting held in Garissa town attended by leaders from the county.
“We need to strengthen Amisom and other security agencies which are spearheading the war against this group. Enough is enough.”
The three leaders spoke less than two weeks after four police officers died in Garissa after the vehicle they were traveling in was blown off by an explosive.
The four were killed less than a week after a similar attack claimed the lives of three other police officers on patrol. The three died after their car was also blown off by an explosive planted at the roadside.
“We are heading for elections and these criminal elements continue killing our people,” said Governor Jama.
He told government to heighten security especially in regions that are prone to attacks by the militants.
Maalim said government and foreign countries waging war against Al Shabaab should deploy an elite force to track the fighters.
“It has reached a time when we have to deploy an elite force to track Al Shabaab members. These fighters are sophisticated, they travel using donkeys and camels and this makes it difficult to identify them. Only an elite force can help in this.”
Duale, Jama and Maalim come from Garissa, a county that has endured several Al Shabaab attacks- the deadliest being the April 2015 invasion at the Garissa University College in which 148 people majority being students were killed.
It took close to 12 hours for members of the dreaded Recce squad to neutralize the fighters. The attack was internationally condemned.