- Title: KENYA: Kenyan president says politics not Islamists behind attacks
- Date: 17th June 2014
- Summary: MPEKETONI, KENYA (JUNE 17, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MPEKETONI RESIDNTS BURNING TYRES VARIOUS OF TYRES BURNING ON THE ROAD VARIOUS OF KENYAN POLICE CLEANING THE ROADS KENYA POLICE PATROLING THE AREA
- Embargoed: 2nd July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAEE0CV383AQ11FX54MR5KA06J1
- Story Text: Kenya's president said on Tuesday (June 17) that two days of attacks on the coast in which about 65 people were killed were planned by political opponents and dismissed claims by Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group that its gunmen were responsible.
President Uhuru Kenyatta told the nation the assaults were politically motivated ethnic violence that had been exploited by criminal gangs. He also took a swipe at political rivals who he accused of being "hate-mongers" - without naming anyone.
"This therefore, was not an Al Shabaab terrorist attack. Evidence indicates that local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of the heinous attacks. This also played into the opportunist networks of other criminal gangs. It is now clear that intelligence on this attack was availed to the security officers in Mpeketoni. Unfortunately, the officers did not act accordingly. This negligence and abdication of duty and responsibility is unacceptable," Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta told the nation.
Somalia's al Shabaab militant group had claimed it was responsible for the two attacks that began with a raid by gunmen on Sunday (June 15) night on the town of Mpeketoni, which lies in a coastal area dominated by Kikuyus, the president's ethnic group.
The president's remarks could stoke political tensions inside a country where allegiances are usually determined by ethnic origin. After the 2007 presidential vote, those divisions erupted into ethnic violence that killed about 1,200 people.
Though Kenyatta did not mention names, his comments appeared directed at his opponent and main presidential challenger in last year's vote, Raila Odinga, an ethnic Luo. He returned to Kenya in May after a long period abroad.
"Kenyans and the Government in particular, have, over the last several weeks, observed frenzied political rhetoric laced with ethnic profiling of some Kenyan communities and obvious acts of incitement to lawlessness and possible violence. The inciters have also given examples of other countries where thousands of citizens have died and been maimed in similar circumstances. This rhetoric is unacceptable and will not be condoned," Kenyatta added.
Gunmen first stormed the settlement of Mpeketoni, which lies near the popular tourist attraction of Lamu town, on Sunday night and killed 49 people. Then 24 hours later, gunmen raided nearby Poromoko village, going through the town house to house and telling them to recite an Islamic creed, according to witnesses.
Kenya has blamed al Shabaab for a spate of gun and bomb attacks in recent months. Kenya also held al Shabaab responsible for the attack on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in September last year in which 67 people were killed.
Violence between different ethnic groups is not uncommon in Kenya. Tribes of Somali origin and other ethnic groups have in the past fought over land and other issues, though that has mostly occurred in Kenya's lawless northern border area.
The new attacks have fuelled public criticism of the government for failing to do more to secure the nation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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