President Ruto reassures of Kenya’s commitment to peace in East Africa

President William Ruto has said Kenya will always answer the call to promote peace and security in East Africa.

The president spoke on Wednesday as he flagged off the Kenyan contingent to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under the auspices of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

He reiterated that Kenya, being part of the East African Community (EAC), was fully in support of the prosperity of all its neighbours to ensure peace and stability in the region.

“East African countries have a collective responsibility to work together to end conflicts and violence that deny the region the space to prosper,” he said.

“Without peace, human freedom is in jeopardy, without stability, all potential is deferred in perpetuity and without security opportunities remain a mirage and unattainable.”

The Head of State noted that Kenya’s participation in EACRF continues a proud legacy of peacekeeping by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

“This deployment is significant and urgent as it responds to the collective aspirations of sustainable peace in our region. We owe our brotherly duty to DRC until the job is done,” President Ruto stated.

 “As neighbours, the destiny of DRC is intertwined with ours; we all have a stake in a stable DRC and its security is an obligation that we commit our best efforts to achieve.”

The Commander-in-Chief similarly hailed the troops for their dedication to serving the country as he implored them to discharge their mandate professionally.

The EACRF contingent is meant to assist the DRC in its efforts to repel M23 rebels who have taken up critical positions in the mineral-rich North Kivu province in the Eastern Part of the country.