A day before Christmas, Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo accompanied by Chief of the Defence Forces, General Samson Mwathethe paid a surprise visit to KDF troops in Somalia serving in various Operation Bases and spread some cheer.
The visit took the duo to Manda, Hulugho and Kolbiyow military camps where they thanked the soldiers for their dedication to duty and keeping Kenya safe.
“I have come here to be with you and to share the spirit of this season with you, exceptional brave men and women. I want to let you know you are appreciated and that Kenyans are proud of you. We appreciate that you have stood firm and fought off threats to our motherland and stood firm, even in the face of great challenges. We thank you for the sacrifices you have made, even beyond the call of duty,” said CS Omamo.
During her visit, the Defence CS intimated that her visit was also to see and experience the soldiers’ everyday life in order to find out how she can better support the soldiers.
“I wanted to see your faces, listen to you and your Commanders, to enable us to support you in the successful execution of your mandate here. Because of your diligence, you exemplify the heart of Kenya. You are symbols of all that is worthwhile in our country. You have successfully stood firm as the shield of Kenya, and for that I thank you” she said.
When he rose to speak Gen Mwathethe conveyed Christmas greetings and thanked the soldiers for ensuring that Kenyans went about their daily lives in peace.
“Your being here will enable Kenyans to enjoy their Christmas and New Year festivities since they know that you are standing guard, ensuring the country is safe,” he said.
Ms Omamo later honoured KDF heroes who had paid the ultimate price in the service to the Nation, saying that their sacrifice was not in vain before wishing the troops and their families back home a Merry Christmas and a happy 2019.
![Graça Machel was born in 1945 [CGTN]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Graça Machel was born in 1945 [CGTN]")
