The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has rubbished a report published by The New York Times which reported that the Kenyan soldiers on sentry duty at Manda Bay hid in grass as al-Shabaab militants carried out a vicious attack earlier in January.
Three Americans including two military contractors and US Army specialist Henry Mayfield were killed during the attack executed by al-Shabaab militants.
The report published by New York Times claims it is based on “interviews with a dozen American military officials or other people who have been briefed on the attack.”
The narration of events paints a picture of cowardly KDF soldiers who failed in their sentry duty to keep the camp safe from intruders.
“..Many of the local Kenyan forces, assigned to defend the base, hid in the grass while other American troops and support staff were corralled into tents, with little protection, to wait out the battle.”
But in a rejoinder, The KDF spokesperson Colonel Paul Njjuguna said the factual account of events would only come after investigations are concluded.
“It is strange on where the news report is coming from and why at this time when we are waiting for the investigations to be concluded. We can only have a correct and factual account of the happenings once the report is finalised,” Njuguna told Nation.
Njuguna was alluding to a yet-to-be completed report by the joint Board of Inquiry that was initiated days after the attack.
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