Kenyans Demand an Apology from the New York Times for Slandering KDF Soldiers

Kenyans on social media are demanding an apology from the New York Times over its report on the January 5th, 2020 Al-Shabaab attack on Manda Bay in Lamu.

In an article dated January 22nd, 2020, the New York Times reported that Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) soldiers failed to cover their American counterparts during the ambush on Camp Simba and Manda Bay Airfield by terrorists.

The publication claimed that Kenyan soldiers “hid in the grass” when armed gunmen stormed the military base, killing three American citizens. The military base hosts both Kenyan and US forces.

“Many of the local Kenyan forces, assigned to defend the base, hid in the grass while other American troops and support staff were corralled into tents, with little protection, to wait out the battle,” The New York Times reported.

Among those killed during the raid was a US service member and two Department of Defense contractors while two other contractors were injured.

But findings of the US Africa Command’s Army Regulation 15-6 investigation and the Secretary of Defense-directed independent review of the attack revealed that KDF soldiers were the first to respond.

On Friday, the US Africa Command awarded three KDF Service Personnel with the Joint Service Commendation medals for their heroic actions during the attack.

The US AFRICOM Director of Operations Major General Gregory Anderson awarded Colonel Daniel Rotich, Major Martin Muthaura and Corporal Peter Shikuri with the awards for their swift response in countering and thwarting the terrorists.

Kenyans say the findings and the awarding of the three soldiers proves Kenyan troops were more involved in repulsing the attackers and want the New York Times to apologize for publishing false information.

Gideon Kimutai Choge tweeted: “@nytimes you should print an apology regarding your coverage of the Manda Bay Attack. It’s unbecoming of a newspaper of your repute to print false reports that casts aspersions to the commitment of our Kenyan troops on the war on terror accusing them of deserting their stations.”

Shanti Tasha wrote: “US have released investigations into the Manda bay attack which shows KDF soldiers were first to arrive & engage the terrorist for over 30 min. This is contrary to what @nytimes reported that KDF soldiers “hid in the grass”. It is quite disheartening for soldiers to lay down their lives for Kenyans only for  international media such as 
@nytimes to claim they hid in the grass.”

She added: “ In fact 4 of the brave KDF soldiers attempted to clear a hangar full of AS terrorists on their own. @nytimes should apologize to kenyans and withdraw their defamatory article towards KDF.”

@_ngwata said: “Apparently, a KDF Ranger consolidated and led an ad-hoc team of KDF and Kenya Navy and went to the airfield out of their own accord to fight off the terrorists.”