by JOAN KIMUHU
Saturday July 1, 2023
Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome toured Lamu County on Friday for an assessment visit following increased terror attacks in the region.
Koome is to meet multi-agency teams from Police, the Military, and National Government Officers who are involved in the ongoing security operations.
In the past three weeks, over 20 officers have been killed in attacks by the al-Shabaab militias in Garissa and Lamu counties.
Kenya and Somalia agreed to re-open three border points amid a cloud of uncertainty on whether the benefits from increased trade and movement of people will outweigh insecurity risks.
Three border points had been shut for more than a decade due to insecurity posed by the Somalia-based terrorist group Al Shabaab.
They include Mandera/Belet Hawo (Belethawa), Liboi-Harhar/Dhobley, and Kiunga/Ras Kamboni.
The closure of the border points between Kenya and Somalia started in 2011 by the administration of the late President Mwai Kibaki following a spate of attacks from al-Shabaab.
The government has since vowed to end frequent attacks on its soldiers by the al-Shabaab militia.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the government is modernising the KDF and police artillery in a renewed effort to end al-Shabaab attacks both in the country and in Somalia.