KENYA TRAINING SOMALIS?

Kenya has denied reports that it has successfully trained some 2,500 troops, who are ready to join the Somali government’s offensive against Al Shabaab rebels.

The government was reacting to reports appearing in one of the Somali news agencies, Garowe Online, which quoted an anonymous Kenyan official, that the new recruits were only waiting their final assessments before actual deployment.

“The recruits have been trained well and they are expected to complete the trainings in the coming days,” the news agency said, quoting a former Kenyan military officer who was allegedly part of the trainers.

However, Defence Minister Yusuf Haji dismissed the story as a total fabrication, saying there was no trained Somali troops in Kenya destined for Somalia.

“I am not aware of any Somali troops being trained in Kenya.. It is total lies,” said Mr Haji on telephone.

Internal Security Assistant Minister Orwa Ojodeh also dismissed the reports saying Kenya does not have a bilateral agreement with the Somali government, or any other group in the country, to train troops on their behalf.

“That report is not true and should not be taken seriously and should not be taken seriously,” said Mr Ojodeh.

The report that quoted sources said the recruits were aged between 20 to 25 years and that the training was held in the Kenyan town of Isiolo.

Kenya has refused to contribute troops to the UN-backed African Union peacekeeping mission, which is shoring up the weak government from the powerful insurgents.

Somali government, which also has soldiers trained by Uganda, Djibouti and Burundi, has already announced plans to flush out the insurgents from much parts of the country. Al Shabaab rebels control a chunk of the country and have been a major threat to the fragile Somali Transitional Government.