REPUBLIC OF KENYA

Press Briefing By Government Spokesman

October 6th 2016
Good afternoon.
MANDERA ATTACK.
Between 2.30 and 3.00am today, a group of armed assailants attacked
residents of Bulla Public Works residential houses in Mandera County, near
the Kenya-Somalia border, about 2 kilometers away from the neighboring
Bula Hawa town in Somalia. The assailants used explosives and assault
weapons.
Security forces responded rapidly to the attack, rescuing 27 individuals and
repulsing the assailants. Sadly, the attack left five dead at the scene,
another innocent citizen died while receiving treatment in hospital. The
attackers escaped across the border into Somalia.
The government has deployed additional security forces to pursue the
terrorist and enhance security in the area.
The Government takes this opportunity to send our deepest condolences to
the families of those who lost their lives in this heinous attack.

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Political Violence.
On Saturday 1st October 2016 the leader of ODM was reported calling on
his supporters from around the country to take up arms and forcibly eject
IEBC commissioners from their offices. This was at a time when IEBC
commissioners had concluded negotiations with government and agreed to
vacate office. Indeed IEBC commissioners yesterday tendered notice of
resignation, in accordance with the recommendations of a Joint Select
Parliamentary Committee drawn from all political parties including ODM. Of
course the motive was to get himself arrested and thus justify a notion that
the government of the day is suppressing the opposition. It is not lost on
any observer that the opposition is incurably disorganized and unlikely to
present any meaningful political competition. There are circles that would
therefore wish for violence and chaos to avoid a legitimate defeat in a free
and fair democratic election.
In a similar incident, we have witnessed Governors Jackson Mandago and
Alex Tolgos attempting to evict that acting Vice Chancellor of Moi University
in an action that mounts to creating a tribal enclave.
Whereas the government has no intention of getting into ill-conceived
political machinations, we wish to reiterate that there is no-one in Kenya
who is above the law, and any person attempting to use violence to achieve
political objectives will be dealt with firmly.

We thank the law abiding citizens of this country for ignoring that call.
Eric Kiraithe ( MBS).

Thank you.