Kemri tour purely routine, officials assure

Two Cabinet secretaries yesterday allayed fears of a possible security threat at a key institute for health research in the country.

Interior Affairs CS Joseph Nkaissery and his Health counterpart, Dr Cleopa Mailu, visited the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) to survey the security measures put in place to counter any possible threats.

Speaking while touring the research institute Mr Nkaissery said the visit was meant to review the facility’s security level. He also insisted that the institution is fully secured and there is no cause for alarm.

“We wanted to review if there were any security gaps that needed to be filled, an exercise any government undertakes with its institutions,” said Mr Nkaissery.

He added that the government needed to “know if the sensitive materials this institution handles are fully secured”.

Dr Mailu said the tour was part of a routine process.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that the chemicals and research activities taking place in our research institutions are secure,” said Dr Mailu.

The government will also check the security level of the other two Kemri laboratories based in Kisumu and Kilifi counties.

Although this was the first time the two were visiting Kemri together, they insisted the visit was not informed by any security alert, but was part of a routine process to avoid any eventuality.

“The visit is not predicated on any security threat but we need to keep tabs on what’s happening,” added Dr Mailu.

Mr Nkaissery also said it was necessary to repair Mbagathi way, a road that leads to the institution, to ease movement in and out of the research centre.

“If I was the county governor, I would make this road like yesterday because it leads to a very important institution,” he said.