Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer Segeant Gerishon Wanyonyi Wasike has sent an appeal to President Uhuru Kenyatta - five years after his capture by al Shabaab militia group in the deadly El Adde attack.
In an emotional video shared by the terrorist group's propaganda channels on Monday, May 24, Wasike lamented that he had hoped the Kenyan government would step in and free them from captivity.
The senior KDF officer stated that it appeared the country had already moved and specifically spoke bitterly about the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) which is the biggest political topic in the country.
"To President Uhuru Kenyatta and the government, I expected they would help free us from this captivity but it is now five years and silence persists. Politicians keep politicking. For protecting the country, this is what we get.
"We have heard of BBI (Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is sad because they are creating a bridge of understanding yet they are not helping soldiers under al Shabaab captivity," he stated.
Gerishon further noted that the country at large as well as his superiors had turned a blind eye to the suffering of those under al Shabaab captivity.
"I expected my family to vouch for me but I have not received any results. I would like to meet my family.
"I ask Uhuru, We have been captives for 5 years and we vowed to protect Kenya and your Presidency but now you are silent. A country is judged by the way it deals with its army veterans," he added.
He also revealed that the team had been sent to the war-torn country to aid in the release of two foreigners that had been captured by the militia group.
According to Wasike, the United States has since withdrawn its troops.
"In 2011, our army was sent to Somali under Operation Linda Nchi. In January 2016, al Shabaab Militia attacked El Adde and the fight was intense. Our soldiers died and very few survived. I found myself under al Shabaab and it is been 5 years since the attack.
"The only remaining thing in El Adde is a tourism attraction site," he observed.
A representative from KDF office informed Kenyans.co.ke that the matter was still under consultation and a statement would be shared later.
At the time of this publishing, no statement had been shared.
Over 147 KDF officers reportedly died during the El Adde attack which occurred on January 15, 2016. The state did not release official figures.
