The 36 quarry workers killed by Al-Shabaab terrorists in Mandera on Tuesday had been advised to relocate for security reasons but refused to move, Deputy President William Ruto has said.
Mr Ruto said on Wednesday that police had advised the workers to relocate to a place close to Mandera Town.
“I admit failure by security agencies…we should have used force to get them out of there. Even after they were informed, they continued to stay there,” he said on Citizen TV’s “Cheche” program.
He said the government was committed to improving security in Kenya, as indicated by recent changes.
Mr Ruto reiterated that the Kenya Defence Forces would not leave Somalia and would continue to fight Al-Shabaab.
“The best way to keep terrorists from Kenya is to fight them in Somalia. We need to (stamp) out terrorism at its base,” he said.
The Deputy President also faulted utterances by some leaders, saying their remarks were emboldening terrorists.
“When a leader stands on a podium and says they doubt whether 100 militants were killed, what message are you sending to the terrorists?” he said.
Mr Ruto reiterated that the government was committed to revamping its security apparatus to be responsive to the challenge of terrorism.
On November 22, gunmen ambushed a Nairobi-bound bus in Mandera County and killed 28 passengers.
Barely 10 days later, 36 people were killed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants at a quarry in the same area.
Source-nation.co.ke
