Heroes of Somalia
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Heroes' Monument, Nanyuki Barracks |
April 2012, 0730Hrs
DOD Headquarters, Ulinzi House, Nairobi
“Why are we
losing soldiers all over sudden? Are you not giving them timely intelligence?”
the Chief of Defence Forces asked.
“We are, sir,” said the Director of
Military Intelligence.
“Then
what is happening? Why are they getting killed?”
“Sir,
we can’t control what they do at the battlefront. We do our job; leave the rest
to them…”
“How
many were killed in the last night’s attack – five, seven? Something is wrong
somewhere. Our soldiers are well trained. I don’t expect this growing number of
casualties, unless they are not well briefed before an operation.”
The
DMI weighed what he was about to say next. Then, “Sir, those soldiers were not
killed by enemy fire…”
*
President’s Speech, Mashujaa Day, 2012
“…and in
addition, I applaud our gallant soldiers in Somalia for the good work they have
done so far. They have made a great sacrifice in fighting for this country.
They are our heroes.
“In
particular I would like to recognize the fallen soldiers who died by the
enemy’s bullet. The ground that sipped their blood may dry, their memories may
fade, but their sacrifice will never be forgotten. The nation will never
forget. We honour them for their valiance with the heroes’ medal of the Order
of Grand Warriors of Kenya…”
*
May 2014, The Hilton Hotel, Nairobi
“Lynn, I heard
you have an investigative piece coming next week,” he said over dessert. “Good
work…”
“Who
told you?”
“I
have my sources…”
“That’s
not why you asked me out, is it?”
“Well…”
“You
son-of-a-bitch.”
“Lynn,
it’s national security…”
“People
died for this country, gave their lives. Wives were widowed, children orphaned,
mothers left childless. Sorrow weighs upon them. They are grieving. Come on,
Peter. It’s two years now and families of some of those soldiers who died in
Somalia have not being compensated, and in particular the…”
“Lynn,
you can’t air that exposé. I know you love what you do, and God knows we love
it too. But this one can’t…”
“This
date is over…”
“No,
it isn’t,” he said. Lynn started to get up. “Sit down, Lynn…”
Against
her alpha female judgement, the Ukweli TV (UTV) investigative reporter perched
her tight, denim-clad butt on the seat she had barely vacated.
An
ominous blanket of silence enveloped them before Peter tore it asunder.
“Lynn,
you can’t air that piece because those soldiers were not killed by enemy fire.
They were traitors, Lynn…”
Lynn’s
jaw dropped on the table, bounced twice before it dropped on the floor. Peter
was still talking.
“….we
had been following them for long. They were working for Al-Shabaab. They always
reported our troops’ movement. You never wondered why most KDF soldiers were
killed in ambushes? You are the investigative reporter…”
Lynn
said nothing, just listened.
“The
army can’t pay them, yet. But they are heroes. Their families can never know
the truth, Lynn. The soldiers were traitors, not heroes…”
When
Peter was done, Lynn couldn’t say anything. Or she just decided not to.
An eternity
stretched before the investigative reporter said, “I will call my producer.”
And with that she rose to go.
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