Our war against terrorism is unstoppable

By Joseph Ole Lenku

Last Tuesday, we launched Operation Usalama Watch which is a nationwide campaign aimed to ensure that the country is free from terror.

On day of the launch, more than 500 policemen and women were deployed to different parts the country. This is not a one-off affair; it is a process that will continue well into the future until Kenya is safe.

So far my team has arrested more than 2,000 suspects, some of whom are on the police’s most-wanted list. Furthermore, several firearms have been recovered.

Last week was sad, not only for me, but the entire country as we watched Master Satrin Osinya go through great pain before the surgical removal of a bullet lodged in his head following a gun attack by terrorists.

I am happy that his operation was a success and he continues to recover under the care of his brave brother and grandmother. These bloodthirsty terrorists orphaned Satrin by taking away the innocent life of his mother.

Earlier last week, five people were killed and several others injured following a terror attack in Eastleigh.

This is simply unacceptable and my team and I will not rest until we have stopped the suffering of innocent people.

In the past, police have been able to foil other terrorist attacks, one of which involved the discovery of 1800kg of TNT in Mombasa. Several bombs and grenades were also recovered.

I am pleased and very thankful for the support the community has extended to us in the true spirit of the Nyumba Kumi initiative. I am also happy to announce that a taskforce has already embarked on the process of developing a comprehensive national community policing policy and has conducted public awareness campaigns in this endeavour.

The Jubilee government is taking seriously the need for the proper management of refugees. Although Kenya will continue to host refugees, this hospitality will not be allowed to threaten our national security.

For avoidance of doubt, I have gazetted Dadaab and Kakuma as the only legally recognised refugee camps in Kenya. In line with my directive last week, the process of mopping up refugees from urban areas has begun in earnest.

This is in line with Kenya’s obligations under the tripartite agreement with the Federal Republic of Somalia and the United Nation High Commission for Refugees.

The Government of Kenya has also signed a tripartite agreement with Uganda and Rwanda for the use of national identity cards as valid travel documents as well as the use of a single entry visa for the three countries.

We have introduced passport issuance services in South Africa, Dubai and Germany to facilitate the easy travel of tourists to Kenya.

We are also in the process of digitizing national registration documents that include birth certificates and national identity cards.

This will help track the movement of suspicious individuals in and out of the country.

In the next financial year, I will ensure that due attention is given to proposals for the establishment of a Command and Control Centre for the National Police Service and a forensic lab for the Criminal Investigations Department.

The national government will also work with county governments to utilise CCTV surveillance technologies and coordinate the reporting of crime through the toll-free numbers 999 and 112.

We will also construct more police stations countrywide and rehabilitate police training colleges in Kiganjo and Embakasi. Prisons will also be rehabilitated and for the first time we will have a correctional centre for people with special needs.

In conclusion, let me reiterate that this government is fully committed to the war on terror and crime.

This war is just about that; it is not religious or sectarian, it is not war against any particular region or ethnic group; it is a war to ensure that no other innocent child has to endure life without a mother like Satrin Osinya. This is our commitment to the people of this great nation

The writer is the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government