Somali-based militia group Al-Shabaab has submitted their demands to President-elect Ruto. The jihad group had been following the Kenyan elections during the campaign period and even after the results have been announced.
In the statement they released dubbed ‘Kenya at crossroads’, the Al-Shabaab questioned outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration. The group is wondering why Nairobi was still insistent on ‘occupying’ Somali land despite the war’s objective being unfulfilled for 11 years.
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Al-Shabaab claims that Kenya had paid the media to keep quiet on the Somali war between the KDF and Al-Shabaab, given the huge fatalities by the KDF. The most notable battle was in 2016 when KDF lost 200 soldiers.
For this reason, Al-Shabaab has deemed it fit to issue demands to Kenya’s President-elect William Ruto. The militia group has poked holes in both Raila and Ruto, questioning their ‘inability’ to address the presence of KDF in Somalia.
“It has been 11 years since Kenya invaded Somalia. To this day, however, the Kenyan military did not achieve any of its initial goals of the invasion.” The statement read in part.
Al-Shabaab has now demanded a change in foreign policy to ensure there is no further deployment of KDF soldiers to Somalia. They have warned Ruto to spearhead a total overhaul of the foreign policy or else face the full wrath from the Mujahideen.
“The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) remain besieged in their bases, unable to leave their bunkers. They are also incapable of conducting any effective military operations against the Mujahideen.” They claim.
Al-Shabaab further noted their displeasure at the two presidential contenders, claiming that the policy had detrimental risks between Kenya and Somalia, and needed to be revised.
“Throughout their election campaigns, presidential candidates deliberately avoided addressing Kenya’s deteriorating security situation as well as their military invasion of Somalia.”
“Kenyan politicians, it seems, are willing to persist upon the path of war to fulfill the interests of their western masters, putting the lives of their citizens at risk and the interest of their country in jeopardy,” stated the militia group.
Al-Shabaab had predicted that Ruto would become president of Kenya in the elections before his rival Raila challenged IEBC’s decision at court. They warned that they were keenly watching his attitude, competence and zeal to lead Kenya.
Security analyst Rashid Abdi claims that Al-Shabaab is outsourcing its propaganda to freelancers due to the constant change in writing styles, tone and colloquialism. For instance, in the statement by Al-Shabaab they termed Ruto as ‘Arap Mashamba’ a demeaning term to mean land grabber and also ‘Kuku seller’ following Dr. Ruto’s humble background from Sugoi.
In the past three months, they have issued two statements, one with London slang and the other with Kenyan slang. In the past 10 years of Kenya’s dealing with the Al-Shabaab at the horn of Africa nation, they have launched four unforgettable attacks in Kenya; Westgate Mall, DusitD2, Mpeketoni and Garissa University.
