MANILA, Philippines—Kenya has witnessed a distinguished increase in attacks since the deploying troops in October 2011 to fight-Shabab militant. In order to protect the security of Philippine workers in Kenya, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has banned the deployment of new Filipino workers to the East African country on Saturday. This action is a response to the fast worsening security situation in Kenya.
The DFA said that they already raised the alert level 2 or restriction phase in Kenya and they will be no new deployment of workers permissible with the exemption of workers in United Nations agencies in the said country.
The DFA added that the restriction phase only allows returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with existing employment contracts.
Filipinos are advised to limit movement and avoid unnecessary travel and crowded places as possible. Further instruction was issued to Filipinos in Kenya to contact or communicate with the Philippines Embassy in Nairobi for advices. Based on the record of DFA, there are estimated 440 Filipinos in Kenya, most of whom are located in the capital Nairobi.
Moreover, Al-Shabab sued the responsibility for a deadly attack last month in the town of Mpeketoni on the Kenyan coast and another attack the next day in a near village. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and the interior minister have blamed local political networks for those occurrences — assertions that have been met with skepticism.
Photo credit: globalnation.inquirer
