Uhuru Kenyatta, the Kenyan president, has sacked his interior minister and accepted early retirement for the head of the police, hours after Somalia’s armed group al-Shabab said its fighters had killed at least 36 people at a stone quarry in the northeastern city of Mandera.

In a televised address, Kenyatta on Tuesday vowed to continue the fight against al-Shabab and announced a security shake-up in which Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenko was dismissed.

Kenyatta named an opposition politician and retired army general, Joseph Nkaissery, to be the new Interior Minister, in charge of security.

At a news conference in the capital Nairobi, David Kimaiyo, the police chief, announced he was stepping down and that the president had accepted his early retirement.

The two men have been responsible for the east African nation’s security, which has deteriorated amid a wave of deadly attacks blamed on al-Shabab.

“My government has invested heavily in terms of increasing recruitment of security personnel; improving their welfare … Despite this progress, we also acknowledge some weakness in our security architecture,” he said.

Kenyatta added that he had asked top security officials to work with legislators and find out whether there were administrative and legal hurdles that limit the country’s “ability to deal with this real and existential threat”.

About 20 gunmen, described by the Kenyan government as “heavily armed bandits” opened fire at the quarry in the early hours of Tuesday morning after separating Muslims and non-Muslims, sources said.

Several people were beheaded, while others were shot in the back of the head, sources told Al Jazeera.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it “another successful operation carried out by the Mujahideen”.

“This latest attack was part of a series of attacks planned and executed by the Mujahideen to serve as a response to Kenya’s occupation of Muslim lands and their ongoing atrocities therein, such as the recent air strikes on Muslims in Somalia,” al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said in a statement emailed to journalists.

The dead are reportedly miners who worked in the quarry, located just outside the town. Shortly before the attack they were woken by the gunmen and forced to leave the tents where they were sleeping.

Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Nairobi, said the government had been under a lot of pressure to fire the two security chiefs.

The attacks had become frequent and the two men have been blamed by Kenyans for failing to provide adequate security, said our correspondent.

She also said the Red Cross was at the scene of Tuesday’s attack and that the military and army were heading to the site, which is just 5km from the border with Somalia.

This is leadership.

as if that will solve the problem

I wish we exchanged president our own for never worse rish this point

This cannot happen in a COUNTRY called NIGERIA

Kenyatta named an opposition politician and
retired army general, Joseph Nkaissery, to be
the new Interior Minister, in charge of security.

Can Jonathan appoint someone from APC camp to hold such a position in Nigeria? Never!! Instead he goes around blaming APC for his failures to curb the insurgency.
If so many incompetent security government officials have been sacked,tell me why would most Nigerians blame Jonathan and FG for being clueless about the boko haram insurgency?
Jonathan has a lot to learn from Kenyatta.

Kenya's insurgency comes from external forces not internal ones like that of Nigeria.
Besides GEJ once sacked all his military heads and appointed new ones, things only got worse.
He has changed National Security Advisers, yet nothing changed.

Collynzo9:
Kenya's insurgency comes from external forces not internal ones like that of Nigeria.
Besides GEJ once sacked all his military heads and appointed new ones, things only got worse.
He has changed National Security Advisers, yet nothing changed.

Oga, please don't compare Uhuru Kenyatta's response to GEJ's. In Kenya, the killings happened yesterday overnight and in less than 24 hours , two powerful officials were dismissed! Tell me in any case,...just one, please...where GEJ ever respinded so swiftly to culpable govt officials or national security threat.

Secondly, read through Kenyatta's speech and see candour, you can be sure this is many levels away from GEJ's kind of response a la ...1. Feign ignorance, play down the number or deny it all out; 2. Send Abati or Okupe to mime to the people that "the perpetrators will surely be brought to justice" and "the govt is on top of the situation" cliches; 3. Blame the opposition; 4. Organize some faceless tribal group to "attack" perceived "opposition" and deliver subtle threats.

Now you see why some of us have problems with GEJ? I hope you see a clear difference in how the two handled similar issues, but with the Kenyan displaying better candour.

Collynzo9:
Kenya's insurgency comes from external forces not internal ones like that of Nigeria.
Besides GEJ once sacked all his military heads and appointed new ones, things only got worse.
He has changed National Security Advisers, yet nothing changed.

Exactly. It's easier to fight external enemies than internal ones.

kuuljay:
I wish we exchanged president our own for never worse rish this point

I think I might support you halfheartedly

Leadership. Sack non performers sharp sharp. No sentiments. No delays. Especially when peoples lives are involved.