Steve Mbogo has caught quite alot of flack because he rushed to 14 Riverside along with other licensed firearm owners to try and mitigate the situation at Dusit when terrorists struck.
He was accused of being a publicity seeker by netizens and was even summoned by the Kenya police because unlike other Kenyan gun owners who turned up with pistols, he turned up with an automatic shotgun.
He has issued a statement earlier today afternoon and this is what he had to say:
IN MY CAPACITY AS A PATRIOTIC KENYAN I COULDN’T WAIT TO BE SUMMONED TO STAND UP FOR A BROTHER,SISTER,MOTHER,FRIEND AND A NEIGHBOR BUT SHOWED AT RIVERSIDE 14 AMID A BROKEN HEART FULL OF PRAYERS AND HOPE THAT NO INNOCENT SOUL COULD BE LOST. FAMILIES WERE EMOTIONALLY DRAINED,PHYSICALLY SHAKEN WITH THE SAD NEWS OF YET ANOTHER ATTACK. I WENT THERE WITH HOPES TO HELP,THAT LITTLE INNOCENT CHILD,THE WOMAN SO AFRAID OF WHAT LAYS AHEAD,AN INCAPACITATED ELDERLY ON A WHEELCHAIR STRETCHING AN ARM OUT WITH FRIGHT WRITTEN ALL OVER HIS FACE FOR HELP.I DON’T REGRET BEING THERE FOR MY COUNTRY AND HER PEOPLE,I DON’T REGRET TAKING A BOLD MOVE WHILE KNOWING I WAS PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE. I WILL DO IT AGAIN FOR KENYA AND OUR PEOPLE ANYTIME AM HEALTHY AND ALIVE. THOSE WHO SPEWED NEGATIVE BARBS AT MY RESCUE SESSION AT RIVERSIDE 14 CAN ONLY BE LIKENED TO SADISTS ON FULL BLOWN MANIC DEPRESSION WAITING TO CELEBRATE WHEN ONE OF US DIES. WE ARE ONE AND WE MUST STAND UP FOR ONE ANOTHER. IN SIMPLE TERMS WE SHOULD BE OUR BROTHERS KEEPERS AND READY TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY AGAINST ANY INSURGENCIES AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST I WOULD ALSO WISH TO CATEGORICALLY STATE THAT I AM A CIVILIAN LICENSED FIREARM HOLDER AND THE IMAGE BEING PURVEYED AND SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT I WAS USING AN ASSAULT FIREARM IS UNFOUNDED,CONJURED UP,MISLEADING AND DEFAMATORY IN EVERY ASPECT,BECAUSE THE FIREARM I HAD IN THE PICTURES TAKEN BY UNKNOWN CHARACTERS AND CIRCULATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS A NORMAL SHORT GUN MODEL- DERYA-ANAKON 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN WITH A PUMP ACTION MAGAZINE-FED WHICH IS WITHIN USE FOR A LICENSED FIREARM HOLDER LIKE I AM.FINALLY I LAUD OUR SECURITY AGENCIES FOR STEADFASTNESS,QUICK AND STRATEGIC HANDLING OF THE SITUATION. TO THE FAMILIES THAT LOST THEIR LOVED ONES I SHARE IN THIS MOMENT OF GRIEF WITH YOU. MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO TO YOU AND THOSE WHO SUSTAINED ALL MANNER OF INJURIES MAY YOU HAVE A QUICK RECOVERY AND LET’S PICK UP OUR PIECES TOGETHER AS WE REBUILD OUR STRONG AND CONFIDENT FRONT GOING FORWARD. GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS KENYA.STEVE MBOGO-TKP(TRUE KENYAN PATRIOT)