UK’s move to lift coastal travel advisories welcome

UK’s move to lift coastal travel advisories welcome

By MUSYOKA NGUI

T

hat the British government has lifted travel advisories against Kenyan coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale is good news to the tourism industry which has suffered reduced tourist numbers in the recent past.

The travel advisories were issued last year in the wake of a spate of terrorist activities but since security has improved it is only fair to lift the travel advisories which were long overdue. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office deserves a pat in the back for acknowledging the security situation in Kenya has improved. It signals confidence that foreign investors have in our country.

Following the lifting of the travel advisories by UK business at the coast is likely to get a boost since UK still is a major source of foreign tourists visiting Kenya. Other tourist sources should follow suit and assure their citizens that Kenya is safe. The UK and the USA have been instrumental in sharing intelligence with Kenya and the international cooperation is likely to get stronger while the Al Shabaab will be eventually eliminated for the economic benefit of the partner countries.

I salute KDF for their brave response against Al Shabaab, condole with Mpeketoni victims one year on

I salute KDF for their brave response against Al Shabaab, condole with Mpeketoni victims one year on

BY MUSYOKA NGUI

L

et me congratulate the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) for their exemplary fight they staged against Al Shabaab terrorists in Lamu. KDF thwarted the militants attack due to their swift response and high level of professionalism.

Despite the military outpost being located in a remote place in Lamu, our soldiers offered a quick return of fire that shamed the al- Shabaab and in the process killed 11 of the attackers.  I condole with the families of the two gallant soldiers who paid the ultimate price. They showed an exceeding degree of patriotism and they should be celebrated as heroes.

Terror Scourge

The terror scourge has in the recent past claimed many lives of innocent Kenyans. As such, any citizens of goodwill must unite with and support the government and our soldiers who sacrifice a lot to protect our lives and properties.

Kenya too should strengthen intelligence gathering and sharing with likeminded countries like the USA and the UK in order to compare notes and stop the terrorists before they hit us. We live in a globally connected world and terrorism has also gone international thus we should adopt international cooperation when dealing with this global menace. International terrorism like jihad which is advanced by Al Shabaab is no doubt a threat that is shared and whose responsibility we should shoulder as international community.

Al Shabaab too seems to have assumed global face in the way it recruits its candidates given that two among those who were killed were Caucasian and KDF think that one of the suspected terrorist was a Briton named Thomas Evans aka Abdul Hakim-something the Daily Mail of the UK confirmed as it reported that his mother admitted that Evans had joined jihad in Somalia.

Media Responsibility

The media also acted responsibly by denying the Al Shabaab publicity which they use to gain popularity and influence. The media desisted from alarmist reporting and should be commended for upholding ethical reporting. The resilience of Kenyans to bounce back after a tragedy should be told as forcibly as possible because we are resilient and no one can tell our story better than ourselves. As we remember Mpeketoni attacks one anniversary later, let us keep the families who lost loved ones and friends in Lamu in prayers.

Good job Mwingi police

Good job Mwingi police

BY MUSYOKA NGUI

T

he police did a marvelous operation that successfully arrested 32 illegal immigrants of Somali origin on transit to Nairobi along Mwingi-Garissa road. The alleged human trafficking syndicate could have done more harm if it found its way to the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The police must have acted swiftly given the lorry tried to escape arrest by speeding but police gave chase which finally nabbed the suspects. The suspects who couldn’t speak either English or Kiswahili may have entered Kenya through collusion with the immigration officials or border patrol police. Therefore there is an urgent need to rid our criminal justice system of corrupt officers who won’t mind accepting a bribe at the expense of the security for many.

We should not allow our borders and soil to be used for human smuggling since this may expose us to terrorism, drug trafficking and modern day slavery. In the meantime let them face the law after the police finish their investigations.