Nairobi(Alshahid + agencies) Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula has refuted media reports that the government was recruiting and training hundreds Somali youths to help the transitional government of Somalia fight the Al Shabaab militia.

In a press conference late on Monday, Wetangula said that it has never been the job of the Kenyan government  to train and fight in neighboring countries, rather,Kenya had signed agreements with the transitional government to to help them train police officers and immigration officials.

“It has never been the job of our government to train mercenaries to fight in neighbouring countries. It does not serve our national interests,” said wetangula.

Somali Islamists, who have been engaging Somalia’s transitional government in almost daily attacks, have accused Kenyan government  of recruiting ethnic Somalis who live in Kenya, particularly North Eastern Province to fight against them.

The Islamists have warned that they would do all they could to stop the East African nation, which supports Somalia’s weak UN-backed government, from carrying out the training.