The Daily Nation covers the story.
www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/Uhuru-Kenyatta-British-Army-Training-Unit-Nanyuki/-/1064/2661940/-/5i9a5m/-/index.htmlEqually, the pro-right UK tabloid also gives its take.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3016503/We-ll-bar-troops-don-t-pay-crimes-jails-Kenya-s-warning-Britain-claiming-soldiers-accused-assault-rape-murder-escaping-justice.htmlI do not any way support the rather colonial inclination of the British to maintain a colonial retreat for their military personnel to come to Kenya when they wish and conduct their military exercises. They say we gain from such exercise because our military are trained along side them. In my view, that is bullshit.Despite my stance against the British military escapee here, my interest is to note and analyse the change of mind? After all the British have been coming from the days of they ruled the land.
From the onset, I don’t buy the view of Uhuru that the new Kenyan constitution only permits prosecution of the British Military personnel who commit criminal offence before Kenyan Courts. That is simply a red herring! It is well known the military cannot be tried in a civil court, they can only be court-martialled before their own regimental orders, and in the case of the British their court martial in under the auspices of their command. The Kenyan government have no say on that what so ever. For those civilians who are unlucky enough to be victims of the British Military personnel the only action they can bring is against the British state or in a vicarious action against the Kenya as the state, which permitted the British to conduct their military exercises in Kenya.
Uhuru refusal to renew the agreement to allow the British to continue with their exercise is bold and but not smart. He should have been open and said he does not want them here anymore. Or say because they wanted to prosecute him before the ICC – including the comments by their High Commissioner – that business will not be normal after the ICC declared him a suspect – Uhuru is no longer willing to engage with them. Or boldly say because of the travel advisories, no reciprocal engagement until they withdraw those advisories killing Uhuru’s touristic business plans. But, to say it is to do with the new Constitution is simply bullocks. Uhuru needs to grow mature balls and say it as it is and we shall support him.
This has now turned to be a diplomatic row , somebody is really misadvising the president on the foreign policy and in turn now affecting tourism which has been on the downward trend even worse than the Nyayo era , funny enough Kenyattas family has big investments in this sector ,with the ICC burden of his shoulder for now he should be using all diplomatic channels available to have the travel advisories lifted instead of making unnecessary public ramblings ,spats and show of bravado(he can leave that for local politics ) of which in as much as he is and will receive applaud but in the short term , in the longrun Kenyans really wants their lives and standard of living uplifted . When it hits the fan it will be a little bit to late.
www.nation.co.ke/news/Uhuru-tells-off-UK-for-fresh-travel-warning/-/1056/2673468/-/1mepp4z/-/index.htmlPresident Uhuru Kenyatta has criticised the UK for issuing travel advisories to its citizens, saying they were based on “untrue” information about Kenya’s security.
In what could signal a growing rift between Kenya and her former colonial oppressor, the President accused the British of making selective travel warnings.
“I have not heard the British issue travel advisories against Paris (where terrorists attacked the headquarters of a satirical magazine in January). I have not heard the British issue travel advisories against other European capitals,” he said at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi on Wednesday.
He was addressing a group of Kenyans living in the diaspora.
The meeting, under the theme “Development and Innovation; Opportunities for Diaspora” was meant to educate Kenyans abroad on the opportunities available at home.
“We want to send a clear message that they will not intimidate us with these threats,” said President Kenyatta.
He was incensed by the fresh UK government warning to its nationals not to visit the Coast unless they were on “essential travel”.
Two weeks ago, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond accused Kenya of sitting on intelligence information, making it difficult to review the warnings.
President Kenyatta refuted the claims yesterday.
“That is not true and the challenge is on them now. There is nothing they can claim not to be aware of,” he said. “If these traditional markets (for our tourism) don’t want to come, tell them we are also tired of kneeling before them all the time.
“We want to encourage, especially our brothers and sisters from the African continent, to travel in Africa. Help us promote this country. Help us tell them Kenya is safe,” he said.
The new warning was issued last Friday, a week after Mr Hammond’s trip to Kenya where he failed to convince Nairobi to renew a bilateral military training agreement.
“The UK has updated its travel advice for Kenya, adding advice against all but essential travel to the coast from Tiwi (just south of Mombasa) all the way up to the border with Somalia,” said the advisory.
“Our travel advice for other parts of the country has not changed, and the vast majority of the country remains outside our advisory against all but essential travel,” it says.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said the updated advisory was not motivated by political or economic reasons, but was a routine review based on “our objective assessment of the security position, an assessment shared with the Kenyan authorities.”
Britain has more tourists coming to Kenya than any other Western country
