Security agencies in Kilifi County are on high alert following reports that the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) was regrouping and recruiting new members to cause terror.
Kilifi County Police Commander Douglas Kanja revealed this yesterday while defending the police against accusations of wrongful arrests of MRC suspects on Monday.
Police had arrested 28 suspected MRC members, prompting a reaction from Kilifi Deputy Governor Kennedy Kamto and Mwarakaya Member of County Assembly Silas Mzungu.
The two later stormed Kilifi Police Station, demanding the release of 28 suspects who were arrested during a crackdown, claiming some of them were students.
According to Mr Kanja, the suspects were plotting to invade Matsangoni Administration Police camp, Ngerenya, Banda la Salama and Kaloleni camps.
"Police were deployed to crack down on the MRC suspects after intelligence reports revealed they were regrouping to raid the four AP camps last week on Friday. We arrested 10 of them," said Kanja.
Kanja said similar raids were made at Kanamai and Chonyi, suspected to be strongholds of the group, where 18 more suspects were arrested.
But Kamto and Mzungu accused the police of harassing and arresting people who are not connected to the banned group. They urged the police to stop the crackdown.
"As leaders, we are not happy with the way the police are conducting their raids and arresting people. They have even arrested school children," said Kamto.
Mzungu, in whose ward the arrests were made, addressed relatives of those arrested and condemned police action. "As leaders in the county, we support the crackdown on MRC, but we are not happy with the way the raids were done. The police end up arresting wrong people," said Mzungu.
But Kanja said the police are doing their work in accordance with the law, adding they have started profiling those arrested to get the real culprits.
This is not the first time county leaders are accusing the police of harassing residents in the pretext of war against MRC. Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and Senator Stewart Madzayo have in the past asked police to stop victimising innocent people.
"Innocent people have always ended up being locked after such raids," said Kingi.
The senator said police have been arresting local farmers who they find carrying jembes and pangas while going to their farms.
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