President of the Republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, has said if Ghana and the East African nation can preserve their independence and values of democracy, the two must join hands in the fight against terrorism.
“Peace and security place a key role in the economic growth and sustainable development of both our counries and the African continent as a whole. Thus, we must come together to defeat the enemy that is threatening our people’s way of life”, he noted.
Kenya has in recent times been a target of terrorist attacks, especially, from the hands of al-Shabaab, leading to the death of hundreds of people and the destruction of several properties.
For instance on Saturday September 21, 2013, unidentified gunmen attacked Westgate Shopping Mall, the most upscale mall in Nairobi.
The attack resulted in at least 67 deaths including Ghana’s poet Prof. Kofi Awoonor, and more than 175 people were reportedly wounded in the mass shooting.
Al-Shabaab, an extremist Islamic group responsibility for the incident, which it characterised as retribution for the Kenyan military’s deployment in the group’s home country of Somalia.
Two years later, al-Shabaab rebels again launched assault on Garissa University College in Nort-east Kenya on April 2, killing 148 people in the process.
Kenyatta addressing a parade to commemorate the 59th Independence Anniversary celebration of the Republic Ghana at the Black Star Square, Sunday, said terrorism continues to plaque African countries urging member nations to cooperate and heighten their counter terrorism efforts to achieve their desired objectives.
“It cannot be that terrorist attacks become the norm rather than exception”, he added.
