A former Al Shabaab fighter has revealed that a majority of Kenyans who join the terrorist group are used as sacrificial lambs.
The fighter, who came back into the country in 2013, says this has contributed a lot to discrimination against foreign fighters within the group.
The returnee has since reformed after being taken through a rehabilitation program by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
According to The Star, the returnee revealed that the gang’s explosives unit, Istishadi and foot soldiers unit known as Jabha are the most notorious.
“They use Kenyans and other regional foreign fighters for suicide missions or on the frontline against enemies,” stated the returnee.
The former militant has since reformed after being taken through a rehabilitation program by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
Intelligence reports indicate that the gunmen executed five of their counterparts over suspicion of spying for their enemies in a recent implosion within the group due to suspicions of spies planted among them.
The mistrust has reportedly led to a large number of Kenyan fighters sneaking back into the country, and a few remaining ones operating, almost semi-independently, within the densely forested Lacta area that cuts across the Kenya-Somalia border.