Securing Kenya: Agencies Lay Strategies to Wipe out Terrorists, Take Charge of Kenyan Border

Highlight

• The Kenyan security agencies have in place a roll out of measures to face out terrorists infiltration to ensure the country’s security. In co-ordination with the various agents geared towards securing Kenya and the Kenyan public, the country aims to win the battle against Al Shabaab in Somalia while keeping her own population safe.

Kenya’s Intelligence Service

Kenya’s intelligence service has in the recent past worked with other security agencies to thwart what would have otherwise amounted to the most catastrophic attacks Kenya has ever witnessed.

Al Shabaab militants had targeted Kenya’s vulnerable places including most active open air markets in Nairobi and a number of Kenyan universities and colleges. With intelligence however, most of these attacks have been foiled.

On Wednesday 22nd July 2015 Kenya’s intelligence unmasked Al Shabaab plan to help a top Al Shabaab suspect Sheikh Khalid Mohamed Ali escape from custody.

Intelligence sources have also intercepted the terrorists’ communication with some of their terror cells in the country from their operational bases in Somalia which have then been destroyed.

• Kenya intelligence continues to track closely on the proceedings of Al Shabaab’s local cells especially in the coastal region. Other keenly marked areas that are top on intelligence list for hosting Al Shabaab terror cells are refugee camps in the country as well as listed universities and colleges.
• The service however warns the media against publishing security’s classified content as this puts the country at risk of terrorist infiltration and their hint on the agencies plan to fight. It then amounts to their change of strategies.

Kenya Defence Forces

In the recent fall of Bardhere town that was taken by the Kenyan troops, KDF soldiers destroyed the strategic Burdhere bridge that Al Shabaab militants have predominantly used to ferry goods, fighters and ammunition into Gedo thus increasing terror activities in Northern Kenya.

This has been a major setback for the terrorist who will have difficulty co-coordinating attacks in Kenya. The Kenya Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) will also monitor Gedo region so that militants do not innovate a new entry into the Kenyan region especially in the North Eastern Kenya which has been frequented by attacks in the past.

Securing Kenyan Border with Somalia: The Kenya-Somalia Security Wall

The 440 mile Kenya-Somalia wall is expected to cut across four counties; Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Lamu.  The construction of the wall is on course and upon completion it is expected to reduce terror attacks in Kenya by a huge margin.

The security wall will be installed with state-of-the art modern surveillance equipment. This will reduce the trouble in detecting terrorist activities across the border with Somalia that continues to host the remaining Al Shabaab control and operational bases.

The main significance of erecting the wall is to reduce the exported terrorism, importing of recruits by the Al Shabaab from Kenya as well as smuggling of contraband material to Kenya. The terrorists have in the past been known to get 90% of their resources from smuggled goods illegally imported to Kenya. They collect ferry tax at some of the bases they control to allow passage of the good which include foodstuffs such as sugar and ammunition.

Kenya has joined countries in the world that have legitimately endeavored in protecting their citizenry by erecting perimeter security wall and barriers to shield them from hostile neighbors like Jerusalem, Egypt-Gaza barrier, the Mexico- United States among others.

The restricted and specific exit and entry points into Kenya will prevent the militia from conducting any attacks on Kenya as any and all people entering Kenya will be thoroughly screened.

Summary

Even as Kenya remains one of the key targets of the Somali based terror outfit HSM, the country trusts its security agencies’ capability to thwart attacks and respond to threats.

Elements of Somali based Harakat Al Shabaab Al Mujahideen (HSM)have carried out attacks on Kenyan soil on claim that they are against presence of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops in Somalia. The Kenyan government however reiterates its purpose to wage attacks on the HSM terror outfit in Somalia until the terror plagued nation gets relieved terrorists.