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Not an inch less, not an inch more—Uhuru tells Somalia on dispute

Bu Allan Kisia, The Star

President Uhuru Kenyatta has committed to protecting Kenya’s territorial integrity, vowing not even an inch of the country’s geographical area will be lost to aggressors.

President Uhuru Kenyatta during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Wang’uru stadium in Kirinyaga county on October 20, 2021. Image: MERCY MUMO

Speaking during celebrations to mark Mashujaa Day in Kirinyaga, Uhuru noted that Kenya has on many occasions, since attaining independence, experienced territorial aggressions to the sanctity of the country’s borders.

“The message of our founding fathers to these aggressors was simple: Not an inch less; not an inch more. And this is the message that must reverberate across the collective quarters that are bent on annexing any part of the territory known as the Republic of Kenya,” he said.

The President’s remarks follows a verdict by the International Court of Justice on the Kenya-Somalia maritime border dispute.

In the ruling on October 12, ICJ awarded Somalia control of most of a potential oil and a gas-rich chunk of the Indian Ocean after a legal battle with Kenya over their sea border.

Uhuru, in a statement released after the ruling, said Kenya does not recognise the decision by the court.

Somalia President Mohamed Farmaajo welcomed the judgment and asked Kenya to respect the verdict.

On Wednesday, Uhuru said Kenyans must become architects of the future by first protecting what was left behind by the founding fathers.

“We were charged with the responsibility of taking care of our territorial integrity,” he added.

“The resolve of our founding fathers rings as true then as it does today: Not an inch less; Not an inch more. We say this because we are a nation content with its bounty, and content with the splendour within our borders.”

Uhuru further added that the transformation of the  security sector has been one of the most significant endeavours of his administration.

“We have added new arrows in the quivers of our national security by retooling the resources and capacity of our security agencies. This visible transformation of our security organs has been done in honour of their sacred national duty of defending our sovereignty, maintaining our territorial integrity, securing our borders, and preserving our cherished freedoms and our way of life,” he said.

Similarly, he added, his administration has in the last eight years undertaken consequential and expansive modernisation of the military in the country’s history.

“We continue to tool and re-retool our security resources to the highest standards to keep our people safe and secure and to preserve our territorial integrity in a just, fair, democratic and safe country for all,” he said.

Uhuru said Kenya also invested in the welfare of those charged with security by reviewing of remuneration benefits, and other allowances, upgrading of housing, provision of insurance and increasing the capacity of health facilities set aside for them.

“In addition, we are building four additional hospitals to cater for them and their dependents, in recognition of the heavy toll placed on them and their families,” he added.

Source: The Star

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