KENYAN troops yesterday pushed north in Somalia towards the port town of Kismayu, taking control of Oddo town. The troops secured the town of Kolbio next to the Kenyan border as the operation entered its sixth day. Chief of Defence Forces Gen Julius Karangi flew out in the morning to Addis Ababa to meet with ministers of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, the Ethiopian Chief of Defence Forces, and officers from the Africa Mission to Somalia (Amisom).
They were scheduled to discuss the operation, exit strategy and future deployment of Amisom soldiers in Somalia. Military spokesman Maj Emmanuel Chirchir said Kenyan troops had secured a foothold in Ras Kamboni on Thursday without any contact with al Shabaab. "This avenue provides the defence forces with a vantage point to clear al Shabaab and pirates on the Somali waters from Ras Kamboni to Kismayu. The Kenya Navy is enforcing border integrity by ensuring pirates don't enjoy freedom of movement along the Kenya-Somali waters," said Maj Chirchir.
The Kenyan forces are divided into three prongs: South Sector entering Somalia through Ras Kamboni; Sector Central through Liboi; and Sector North through Moyale. "The local administration in Ras Kamboni organised its first administrative meeting (Baraza) and expressed their gratitude towards the efforts by the TFG and KDF in reclaiming their town," Maj Chirchir said.
Maj Chirchir said the operation through Sector Central had halted due to bad weather. The troops were resting at Bees Qooqani having secured Dhobley and Tabda, an al Shabaab hold. The troops are yet to reach Afmadow, he said. In Sector North, Kenyan troops have moved 35 km into Somalia towards the town of Busar but are yet to secure it. "Al Shabaab are believed to be holding this town together with other towns including Catama, Fafadun and Baadhere," Maj Chirchir said.
Meanwhile, Kenya police have launched an operation to screen Somalia nationals with fake or forged travel documents. The operation will check the national identification card and passport application forms to establish if they were properly completed, said senior police officers. "This will be a different operation from earlier ones because the security of the country is at stake. Some of these people have acquired what looks like valid documents and are conducting businesses without hindrances," said senior police source.
Two Somali doctors working in Pumwani Hospital were arrested yesterday in Nairobi's Eastleigh Estate for alleged links with the al Shabaab and were arraigned in court. Nairobi chief magistrate Gilbert Mutembei allowed anti-terrorism police to continue to hold Ali Omar Salim and Adan Hassan Hillow at Kilimani Police Station for further questioning. They denied being members of al Shabaab.
Prosecutor Bridget Kanya urged the magistrate to remand the suspects for three working days to allow police to scrutinise their documents at government offices. She said police intend to move the suspects to Mandera District for further interrogation. Lawyer Chacha Mwita opposed the application and protested that he was denied access to his clients when he tried to see them at the anti-terrorism offices. “They are both medical doctors who were arrested at their clinic attending to patients. They have more than 50 patients not being attended to. It would be wrong to keep them for so long,“ Mwita argued.
A police officer assigned parade duties during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at the Nyayo Stadium has been arrested after three live bullets were found in his pockets. The Kabete Police Station based constable will appear in court next week, authorities said. The officer allegedly produced a fake police identity card and was wearing a uniform with force numbers assigned to a different officer. Outside Nyayo Stadium, anti terrorism police seized three Somali youths with grenade pins in their pockets. The youth were lining up to enter the stadium. They were driven off for interrogation.
Another man found with a bullet during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium pleaded guilty yesterday in a Kibera court. Muyundo Sibelenge, a farmer, was arrested as he entered the stadium in possession of a 7.62mm calibre bullet without a firearms certificate. A police officer with a metal detector found the bullet among new coins and two bracelets.
The police also recovered a newspaper cutting with a story titled “Bombing suspects to be known tomorrow." Sibelenge told CID that he had travelled from Bungoma and picked the bullet up on the road. He is expected in court on October 28 after ballistics experts have examined the bullet.
Nairobi police chief Anthony Kibuchi said police, General Service Unit, and military officers from Moi Air Base are patrolling Eastleigh in view of the al Shabaab threats to attack. "There are operations going on all over the country," Kibuchi said. "Yes. There is an operation in Eastleigh, Mandera, Nairobi, Kirinyaga, Bungoma, all over." Several tycoons in Eastleigh are suspected to be financing the al Shabaab operations. Businesses closed early in Eastleigh yesterday as people feared being held in the security operation and there were few customers.
Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojode told Parliament on Wednesday that the operation would target those illegally in Kenya and criminal networks. In September last year, the Central Bank of Kenya directed all banks to monitor the financial transactions of the businessmen suspected to be the financiers of the Al Shabaab.
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