Kenyans pay the price of Al-Shabaab terror threats

by Bedah Mengo
NAIROBI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- It is afternoon in Eastleigh, a vibrant commercial and residential area in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jibril Kassim and his four friends sit near a building adjacent to Moi Air Base, a military establishment, whiling their time away.
Ordinary, the teenagers would be playing football at a field near the military airport, but it is now a month-and-a-half since they played soccer there.
"The field was fenced off to prevent the public from moving near the airport soon after Kenya forces moved to Somalia to fight Al Shabaab militants," Kassim told Xinhua in an interview.
"We can longer play soccer, which is our favourite game, and we hoped to make careers out of it," From a distance, one can see military men in their jungle green outfits patrolling the area near airport.
"You cannot move near that field because the military would not allow you. They may even suspect you for being an Al Shabaab member," Kassim said.
The teenager and his friends are among hundreds of Kenyans feeling the pinch of war on terror as the country intensifies fight against Al-Shabaab insurgents in Somalia.
Since Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) moved into Somalia in October last year, security in the country has been tightened, affecting the lives of many people.
The Al Qaeda-linked militants, Al-Shabaab, on the other hand, have continued to issue terror attack threats, the latest having been made on Jan. 5.
The threats are hovering over Kenya, with many countries warning their citizens to be cautious as they go about their businesses in Nairobi.Continued