STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H.

, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE RELEASE OF DETAINEES IN SOUTH SUDAN AT STATE HOUSE, NAIROBI ON 29TH JANUARY, 2014

Fellow Kenyans,

I am pleased to announce that today, the President of South Sudan, His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, released to my custody seven of the 11 detainees previously held in his country !ou can see them "ehind me

!ou already #now the context$ South Sudan, our newest nei%h"or, has "een trou"led "y a recent, sudden civil conflict I&'( and our partners have striven to restore peace

)e a%reed, at the I&'( summit in *airo"i last month, that one of the principles of en%a%ement with South Sudan would "e the release of these detainees +oday,s acts are in line with that commitment I am therefore very %rateful to the &overnment of South Sudan for its compliance with the a%reement

Some detainees remain in custody 's I&'( Heads of State and &overnment, we will continue our conversation a"out them with our "rother, President Kiir +o%ether, we will also discuss how "est to esta"lish the ur%ently needed monitorin% and verification mechanism provided for in the -essation of Hostilities '%reement si%ned ./ 0anuary .112

Many friends and partners pled%ed to contri"ute to the verification mechanism I ur%e them to meet their o"li%ations promptly

+he people of South Sudan only recently achieved their independence +hey need a secure, sta"le country to en3oy the fruit of their stru%%les, 3ust as we, their nei%h"ours, need a sta"le, secure and peaceful partner with whom to develop our re%ion

I&'( wishes to see normalcy return to South Sudan as 4uic#ly as possi"le Kenya, and our nei%h"ours and partners, will wal# this 3ourney to peace and sta"ility with the people of South Sudan +here is no turnin% "ac#

I than# 5etired &eneral 6a7aro Sum"eiywo and the other I&'( special envoys, who devoted themselves to mediatin% this conflict, and will continue to do so as the peace process ta#es shape in the comin% days and wee#s +heir efforts show the stren%th of 'frican solidarity, and the commitment of this continent to solvin% its own pro"lems

6et all sides in the conflict silence their %uns 6et food, water and medicine reach those who most need them 6et those in the camps return to their homes

6et us learn from the events of the last few months, and may we never a%ain see anythin% li#e them

I will invite the Hon 0ohn 6u# who is the leader of the %roup of freed detainees to address you

Hon 8huru Kenyatta President

*ames of the freed detainees

1. 2. 3. 4. . !. ".

Hon (en% 'lor Kuol Hon &eir -huan% (r -irino Hiten% Hon Kosti Mani"e Hon 0ohn 6u# &en Madut 9iar !el En% -hol +on% Mayay