Kenya seeks help to tackle insecurity in refugee camps

• Saitoti asks international community to provide sophisticated equipment to boost surveillance

The government has appealed to the international community for support in tackling insecurity in refugee camps.

While a special team to beef up security in the camps has been formed, there was need for sophisticated equipment to boost surveillance, said Internal Security minister George Saitoti.

Prof Saitoti said the instability in Somalia was an international problem and called on all countries to help bring order to the neighbouring country as Kenya could not host the refugees forever. (READ: US urges Kenya not to send back Somali refugees)

The minister said that since Kenya started accepting refugees from Somalia, it had been exposed to terrorism.
He urged the international community to also explore the possibility of moving the refugees to another country and safer areas in Somalia.

Prof Saitoti said the government would present its proposals at an international conference on February 23.

At the same time, the fight against terrorism in refugee camps and the larger North Eastern Province got a major boost when the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) donated 50 vehicles for police operations.

The Administration Police received 30 Toyota Land Cruisers while their regular counterparts received 20.

Last year, during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the UNHCR and  Kenya to address the influx of refugees, Internal Security permanent secretary Francis Kimemia said the government had suggested that some camps could be created in fairly stable areas, including Jubaland, with the African Union Mission in Somalia or the Transitional Federal Government forces providing security.

The UNHCR argues that moving refugees to their home countries is likely to be a daunting task.