[President Uhuru Kenyatta in a past event. He says Kenya can only pull out of Somalia should Alshabaab militia concede the war. Photo/the-star]
resident Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that the Kenyan defence forces (KDF) will only pull out of Somalia when terror group Al-shabaab has been eliminated.
Speaking on Wednesday during the fourth State of The Nation Address, the head of state conceded that the country still faces the threat of Al-Shabaab, urging Kenyans to support the troops during their stay in the war-torn country.
"Their sacrifice for our freedom and our motherland strengthens our resolve. We remain unbowed; Kenya shall prevail; and our democracy will endure," he said.
"We went to Somalia in 2011 and despite losing some of our gallant officers we must remember that when we win the fight we will then not have to fight them here," he added.
Uhuru further observed that the Kenyan troops have made considerable strides, saying they have weakened Alshabaab's threat to the country and the region.
"Our engagement as part of Amisom has yielded significant success. We have degraded the capacity of al Shabaab to carry out large-scale attacks in Kenya and elsewhere," he said.