Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki has urged Northern Kenya security forces to be friendly to local communities for support and information, potentially leading to the enemy defeat.
Speaking in Garissa during the commissioning of the newly created Shanta Abaq sub county, Prof. Kindiki said that there is need to make the public part of the security operations by making sure that people are not hurt or injured unjustly.
However, the CS thanked the security agencies for their continued dedication to their duty and ensuring that the country is safe at all costs, sometimes even at the expense of their own lives.
“Our special forces are doing a very good job because dealing with this enemy is not a small job. We have even lost some of them in the line of duty and others have been seriously injured, but their spirits against the militants are still unmoved,” he said.
The CS urged officers leading the war against terrorism to maintain friendly relations with the public to gather information that could aid in stopping the enemy and promoting peace.
Furthermore, Kindiki urged officers leading the war against terrorism to maintain friendly relations with the public to gather information that could aid in stopping the enemy and promoting peace.
The CS further reiterated that there is a need to change the way the public perceives security operations so that there can be a united front against al shabaab and banditry in the country.
Hence, the main agenda which he outlined, is to establish a direct relationship between security forces and Northern Kenya residents, enabling information sharing and intelligence sharing in the ongoing war against terror.
To add on, he appealed to regional political leaders to support and understand how a safer country can achieve success through businesses, agriculture and other activities.
Recently, the CS revealed that the government had rolled out a Sh7 billion state-of-the-art security equipment to bolster safety measures in regions prone to terrorism and banditry.
The deployment is slated for areas prone to terrorism and banditry, with a focus on bolstering safety measures in regions like North Eastern, Upper Eastern and Upper Coastal areas.
Meanwhile, CS Kindiki has announced the recruitment and training of National Police Reservists (NPRs) starting next month, intended to complement the efforts of multi-agency security personnel in combating terrorism financiers and orchestrators.
At the same time, in a bid to tackle evolving security threats comprehensively, the government has unveiled a robust 5-year security equipment modernization plan, with an estimated cost of Sh37 billion.
By Erick Kyalo
