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"id": 96726,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Foreign Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki immediately sent a condolence message to the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni yesterday on 12th July, 2010, and also spoke to him on phone, following the twin bomb attacks. President Kibaki condemned the atrocities and pledged that Kenya Government would fully support efforts of Ugandan security personnel in tracking down the culprits. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as you may be aware, there are tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Kenyans living in Uganda, including approximately 30,000 students studying in various institutions. My Ministry has been liaising with our Mission in Kampala to establish if there are any Kenyan casualties in the twin bombings, and we have established that no Kenyan lost life there, but more importantly that one Kenyan lady named Alice Mueni, was injured in the blast and is admitted at the Kampala International Hospital with head injuries. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we will continue informing Kenyans on her state. I want to add my voice and I believe the voice of this House and Kenyans at large, to send our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Government and the people of Uganda. Our sympathies go in particular, to the families of the bereaved as well as those who were injured. I wish them a quick recovery. I also wish to reiterate the solidarity of the people of Kenya with our brothers and sisters in Uganda and to re-affirm the commitment extended by President Kibaki to work together with Uganda to apprehend the perpetrators of this reprehensible and cowardly act. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, these bombings are an indication that the extremist groups are expanding terrorist activities across this region. There are indications that as many as 200 foreign fighters affiliated to Al Qaeda may now be hiding in Southern Somalia and several hundred others could be making their way into Somalia from different parts of the world, particularly the Middle East and Afghanistan. This trend was recognized during the recent 15th Extra ordinary Summit of IGAD held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Summit noted with serious concern the deteriorating security situation in Somalia which poses a serious threat to the peace, security and stability of the people of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, the region and the international community. The lawlessness in Somalia has also led to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and an upsurge in piracy activities off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Eden. This has had severe consequences for the economic and social well being of countries in this region, Kenya included. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Summit in Addis Ababa also further observed that the conflict in Somalia is not a conflict among the Somalis but between the people of Somalia and the group of international terrorists. The IGAD member states resolved to commit themselves to give unswerving support and assistance to the TFG in the struggle against extremist groups in Somalia. They also emphasized the need for an urgent and robust response by the international community led by the UN Security Council and in particular, the need to send into Somalia immediately, 2,000 additional troops to support the Government of Somalia in the fight against these extremists. Further, it was decided to request the UN to convert AMISOM into a UN Peace- Keeping and Peace Enforcement Operation without any delay. Finally, Kenya strongly supports the measures to consolidate the political and security situation in Somalia. The bomb attacks in Uganda only serve to strengthen our resolve to combat terrorism and terrorist organizations in all their manifestations wherever they occur because they threaten innocent civilians in our region and elsewhere around the world. It is only through concerted action, that Somaliaâs neighbours including Kenya, and the international community can arrest the situation in Somalia from deteriorating any further. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you may have heard or seen on television that the same grouping has issued similar threats against Kenya. And we want to send them, as a Government, a clear warning that we will not sit back and wait for them to do any similar acts. We will be ready and available to repulse any threats to the security and tranquility of this country. This Government and the people of Kenya, will neither fear to act or act in fear, in fighting against terrorism. Thank you."
}