Mohamud Ali Saleh appointed new North Eastern regional coordinator

Former Kenyan ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohamud Ali Saleh has been appointed the new North Eastern regional coordinator to replace Ernest Mwinyi who was suspended.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said Wednesday the changes are part of the plan to enhance security in the region.

He said Administration Police officer Rashid Yakubu was also posted as the coordinator of police affairs in new changes effected by the Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet.

"As the regional co-ordinator, he will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing security and peace initiatives in the region," said Nkaissery.

He also directed Saleh to work with locals to deal with security challenges, which include radicalisation of the youth, ethnic conflicts and smuggling of goods along the Kenya-Somalia border.

Saleh is also a former North Eastern Provincial Commissioner.

The new changes were effected following demands by some local leaders that security commanders be from the area.

"We met the president and told him we are the only people who can sort out our problems. You will see more changes including the NIS,'' an informed source said.

A team appointed to probe the April 2 Garissa terror attack started its work Monday, meeting some of the officers who had been suspended by Boinnet and Nkaissery.

The team led by head of operations at CID headquarters Mohamed Amin and backed by Ngatia Iregi, Lidia Ligami, Bruno Soshio and Jason Mworia wants to establish why the attack happened despite the fact that there was intelligence on the pending strike by the Al-Shabaab militants.

They are accompanied by five prosecutors who have been appointed by the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko to assist in the probe.

Nine top security commanders of Garissa County were interdicted over the attack and may be prosecuted over various charges once investigations into their conduct ahead of the attack prove there was criminal negligence.

"I am convinced of the need for thorough investigations into the terrorist attack on the Garissa University College to establish possible criminal culpability of individual officers or relevant security committees," said Nkaissery.

The minister took the action after two teams he and Boinnet had appointed presented their reports on the attack.

The teams wanted to establish why the attack took place despite the fact that security officials had been alerted.