NAIROBI, Feb 3: The Kenyan press on Monday appealed to New Zealand to reconsider its refusal to play its World Cup matches in Nairobi this month because of security concerns.

“Boycotting the Nairobi matches and attempting to have it moved to South Africa is simply handing victory to the terrorists and justifying their worthless, inhuman cause,” the leading independent Daily Nation warned in its editorial.

New Zealand announced on Friday they would not play their World Cup match in Kenya on Feb 21 due to fears for the safety and security of players.

Sri Lanka, which is also due to play one of the two matches scheduled for Nairobi, said it will honour its fixture.

But the paper stressed that “Kenya remains firm, despite bearing the scars inlficted by acts of terrorism, and in the same spirit, should not let the terrorists dictate our lives.”

The East African Standard warned that any consideration by ICC to move New Zealand’s World Cup fixtures from Nairobi would be “bizarre” and would set a “very bad precedent for the future.”

“Now the question is, would the ICC be talking the same language if it was about Kenya, or is it because we are a Third World country? Kenya must not allow the ICC to toss it around,” the Standard’s editorial said.

The People pointed out that if history of attacks by terrorists were to be used as a benchmark for hosting international tournaments, “then the term international tournaments would surely take its place in the dustbin of history.”

The opposition Kenya African National Union party newspaper, Kenya Times, said it was not too late for the Kiwis to reconsider their decision so that cricket lovers in this country are not denied a chance to watch the game at its highest level.—AFP