NAIROBI: SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING THE RECRUITS PASSING OUT PARADE, RECRUITS TRAINING SCHOOL, ELDORET,

20TH MAY, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to preside over the passing out parade of the newly qualified recruits, who will today join the ranks of our Armed Forces.

I am aware that you have undergone a rigorous training over the last seven months. I congratulate you all, for your dedication and hard work, which has enabled you to successfully complete your training.

You are commencing your career in our Armed Forces, at a time when security challenges in the modern world are increasingly varied, unpredictable and sophisticated. As members of our Armed Forces, you are expected to remain vigilant in the various units where you will be deployed, in order to successfully protect our territorial integrity and ensure the security of our people.

To succeed in your responsibilities, you will be required to uphold the same strength of character and determination that you demonstrated in the course of your training. You are also expected, to maintain high levels of professionalism and discipline. Above all, you are expected to maintain the highest standards of loyalty to the Government and people of Kenya.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a country, we have faced various security challenges in recent times. Early this month, we lost several lives during a cross-border conflict on the Kenya/Ethiopia border. My Government responded promptly to this security challenge by deploying additional security personnel in the affected border area. Following this deployment, peace and security has since been restored. I have subsequently held discussions on this subject with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia in Kampala, Uganda. During the discussions, we agreed on the need for a Joint Ministerial meeting which will seek ways of restoring any beacons that may have been destroyed along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
I am confident that the Joint Ministerial meeting will resolve outstanding border issues and facilitate the harmonious co-existence of the various communities living along common borders.

We are aware that since the 1990s, revenge attacks between the two communities along our common border with Ethiopia have been cyclical. We have, therefore, intensified patrols with a view to forestalling a recurrence of violence. I urge security officers to remain vigilant in order to ensure peace and security are maintained in the area. I also urge local leaders in the region to engage in peace initiatives involving elders between the two communities, in order to resolve conflicts that are linked mainly to resource sharing.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Besides our border with Ethiopia, the situation in Somalia continues to pose challenges to our national security. These challenges have been worsened by the proliferation of small arms as well as the recruitment of Kenyan youth into radical insurgent groups. In view of these threats, we have stepped up security measures to forestall any acts of aggression and to ensure the security of Kenyans. We have deployed adequate officers to secure our border with Somalia and to ensure fighting does not spill over into our country. I urge members of the public to complement the efforts of the Government by volunteering information that will lead to the pre-emption of crime and the apprehension of criminals.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We recognize that the security challenges we are facing as a nation transcend across borders and require transnational strategies to overcome. For this reason, our Armed Forces have continued to cooperate with other countries at the regional and international level in addressing security challenges.

Regionally, our Armed Forces are actively engaged in the activities of the East African Standby Brigade with a view to building capacity in conflict preemption and management in the East African region. At the international level, our Armed Forces have continued to take part in peace keeping operations. Presently, our Armed Forces have deployed over one thousand personnel on peace keeping and other international humanitarian work throughout the world. These commitments have earned our Armed Forces a proud reputation internationally. I urge you all, to guard this reputation most jealously.

I note with regret that we recently lost five children from a bomb explosion in Kajiado district. While our military and other security forces will continue to conduct training in order to retain skills for defending Kenyans, it must be ensured that the training fields remain secure after the training. I have, therefore, instructed that steps be taken to ensure unexploded bombs are removed from the training fields after firing exercises.

In conclusion Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to take this opportunity to commend our Armed Forces for their efforts in ensuring the security of our people. I also commend them for the civilian and humanitarian services they have continued to provide. As a Government, we appreciate these efforts and we will, on our part, continue to extend the necessary support needed to enable our security apparatus to discharge security services adequately.

With these remarks, I once again congratulate all the graduands and wish them success in their new career and in all their future endeavors. I also wish your families God's mercies as you travel back to your various homes.

ASANTENI NA MUNGU AWABARIKI