Ijara member of Parliament Abdi Ali Abdi has appealed to the government to train more national police reservist commonly known as maxawisley (kikoi boys) to supplement military and security efforts in countering attacks by suspected Alshabab militants in the area and parts of Lamu County.
Abdi said the National Police Reservists (NPRs) are conversant with the area terrain and were ready to work with security apparatus operating in Ijara constituency and the Kenya-Somalia border to hunt down the militia and smoke them out of their hideouts.
He noted that the suspected Alshabab militants are fleeing from Somalia as the National army and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), are chasing them out, hence making Bothai forest their hideout.
The MP observed that NPRs also needed to have identification cards for their own safety, whenever they meet with the Kenya Defense Forces and to give them morale, their stipend should be increased from the current Sh5000 per month, which unfortunately is rarely paid on time.
He promised to liaise with the relevant parliamentary committees to work out on better and timely renumerations of NPRs to improve their morale as they support security teams against Alshabab militants operating in the thick Bodhai forest in Ijara constituency and parts of Lamu East constituency.
At a social level, the MP observed that the high level of insecurity had made it difficult for humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations to render services to residents, citing insecurity,
Abdi sent his message of condolences to the bereaved families of ten KDF soldiers who recently perished when the Landcruiser they traveling towards Sangailu at Gabaya area was blown off by IED suspected to have been planted on the road by Alshabab militants.
By Mohamed Dahir
