Kenya and Russia on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to fast-track the re-hatting of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) into the AU Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) as part of the pan African body’s strategy to combat terror group, Al- Shabaab. President Mwai Kibaki, who held talks with visiting Russian Special Representative to Africa Mikhail Margelov on Tuesday, said the re-hatting issue had been recommended by regional countries and the Africa Union.

"The President and Margelov called on the UN Security Council to fast-track the re-hatting of the Kenya Defense Force into AMISOM as recommended by IGAD and the African Union,” the two leaders said in a statement issued in Nairobi after the meeting.During the meeting, President Kibaki and Margelov discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest to Kenya and Russia. The two leaders agreed on the need to stabilize Somalia and urged the international community to facilitate the repatriation of Somali refugees to sanitized areas within Somalia.

"President Kibaki and Margelov expressed hope that the forthcoming London conference on Somalia will discuss and come up with a lasting solution that will be acceptable to the people of Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa region,” they said.