•The government has maintained that it will defend itself from any form of aggression.
• Government spokesman Cyrus Oguna told the Star on phone that it has no intention to antagonize or aggress any of its neighbors but if need be thy will have to act.
The government has maintained that it will defend itself from any form of aggression.
Through government spokesman Cyrus Oguna, the government on Tuesday maintained its stand that if forced to by the Neighboring Somalia, it will have to deploy its KDF troops to the disputed oil fields in the Indian Ocean.
Oguna was responding to claims that if Kenya parliament approves a motion to deploy KDF forces [in disputed maritime area], the Somali parliament will vote the following day to approve a motion removing Kenya forces from Somalia.
But Oguna in his response told the Star on phone that it has no intention to antagonize or aggress any of its neighbors but if need be they will to act.
Last week the parliament through Majority leader Aden Duale had debated on possibility of deploying KDF to guard the disputed fields.
“The parliament is entitled to have such debate because territorial matters are of great concern. As a country we cannot just sit and let our territory be taken if we have to we shall defend ourselves to safeguard every inch of our land,” Oguna said.
He however said the deployment of KDF is just a consideration which is surrounded by many other factors.
“Let it be known that Kenya as any other sovereign state has international obligation to defend its territory,” he added.
With regards as to whether Somalia Parliament will vote to compel Kenya to withdraw its troops from the country, Oguna said that will be next to impossibility.
According to him, Kenya is in Somalia not to pursue self- interests but to fulfill the African Union’s mandate under the coalition of Amisom.
Our withdrawal from Somalia cannot be based on politics but as per the Amisom’s rules of engagement. Kenya is not in Somalia as an independent country but under AU’s Amisom mission,” he said.
In February this year, Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma said Kenya will not cede even an inch of its soil to anyone or any state.
Juma said Kenay was waiting for a response that meets the minimum threshold from the Somali government over the disputed oil blocks in the Indian Ocean.
Juma said though Somali had issued a statement disputing the claims raised, it is clear they did not deny the existence of a map that depicts the blocks are on Kenyan territory.
"We have noted with concern Somali's intention and plan to auction the oil blocks before January 2020 which is the effective date for sharing between the two countries," Juma said.
She added, "Kenya's position over this matter is inevitable and we shall not cede even an inch of our territory to anyone."
Somali in a letter addressed to Foreign Affairs said it is not offering, nor does it have any plans to offer any blocks in the disputed maritime area until the parties' martime boundary is decided by the ICJ.