North Eastern regional commissioner John Otieno has reiterated that the government will not allow the Al Shabaab insurgents to interfere with the construction of the Lamu Port South Sudan – Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Project.
Speaking during a meeting with all National government administrative officers (NGAOs) from Garissa County, Otieno noted that the LAPSSET project is very critical for the economy of the country and will not be derailed by the terrorists’ attacks.
The newly deployed regional commissioner said that the government will deploy its full force, conduct sting police operations to flush out the al Shabab militants from the region.
“LAPSSET is a very important project for the country and we cannot allow the militia to interfere with its progress. The security personnel have moved in with full force to flush out the terrorists so that there are no more interruptions,” Otieno said.
The RC further called on the NGAOs to tackle insecurities in their areas of jurisdiction and share any intelligence reports with the police for swift action.
“Chiefs and their assistants are very critical in management of security matters because they come from the grassroots and live with people. They can get the necessary information and share it with our police officers for necessary action,” he said.
The RC’s sentiments come barely a week after one person was killed and five others including Kenya Defence Forces soldiers injured in an attack by al-Shabaab militants along the Lamu – Ijara- Garissa road.
Police reports said that the victims were working on the LAPSSET project.
Two weeks ago, four Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) engineers were killed in a similar attack when their vehicle stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
Defence cabinet secretary while in Garissa town last weekend said that the government had invested a lot of money on the project, and that the government would take severe actions against anyone hell-bent on disrupting the project.
“As a government we will do everything possible to make sure that we protect Kenyans and their property. We will not compromise on that,” Duale said
“For this to be achieved you must also play your role by working closely with the security apparatus through identifying and reporting any threats when you come across them or identifying criminal elements hiding in your midst,” he added.
LAPPSET is Kenya’s flagship project under the vision 2030 which is expected to run from the Lamu Port to southern parts of the South Sudan offering easy flow of goods between the two countries.
By Erick Kyalo
