BBC Summary of World Broadcasts; June 28, 2000, Wednesday
SOURCE: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation TV, Nairobi, in English 1800 gmt 26 Jun 00

Text of report by Kenyan TV on 26th June

The Kenya government has maintained that there are no Oromo Liberation Front [OLF] bases in the country. Reacting to allegations that the government was harbouring OLF bases in northeastern Kenya, area Provincial Commissioner [PC] Maurice Makhanu accused Ethiopia of capitalizing on the OLF claims to spread the propaganda aimed at diverting the international community's attention from the war facing the war ravaged nation.

[Reporter - recording] During a tripartite security meeting, comprising of Eastern, Coast and North Eastern Provinces, the North Eastern PC, Maurice Makhanu, affirmed that Kenya respects the sovereignty of Ethiopia. The PC said the provincial security committees will maintain joint cross border meetings with the Ethiopian government to avert any hostilities and instability arising from the communities living across the borders. He noted that this had caused tension and insecurity in the three provinces.

[Makhanu] We have the mandate from the government to ensure that we bring about normalcy, people can go around there, livelihood, their way of live, in a manner that does not disrupt their security.

[Reporter] The meeting resolved to map out strategies to ensure peace and tranquility prevailed in Eastern, Coast and North Eastern Provinces.

[Makhanu] We are also concerned about proliferation [of] fire arms in this area from neighbouring countries, an issue which has brought some insecurity. Not only in this region, the three provinces, but in the whole of this country.

[Reporter] Meanwhile in a similar development the government has warned politicians from the region to desist from issuing inflammatory statements which are likely to trigger ethnic violence between communities. The PC warned that the perpetrators of bloody clashes would be arrested. He further called for the cooperation between the police and the members of the public in order to combat crime.