Uhuru urges police chiefs to share intelligence on terrorism

President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked African nations to share intelligence to effectively deal with emerging security threats such as terrorism.

The President said new security concerns such as terrorism, cyber crime, drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal trade in wildlife products cannot be managed without cross-border cooperation.

Addressing chiefs of police from 13 Eastern African countries at Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa, he said terrorism was incompatible with the values and aspirations of Africa.

“The threat, as we have so painfully learned in recent years, is not confined to any one country or region,” he told the participants at the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO) annual general meeting.  

African countries have a common interest in working together to defeat the terrorists so that their people can enjoy security and prosperity, he said.

“In choosing violence over dialogue, terrorists reject the basic premise of any democratic nation; in choosing spectacular, murderous violence, terrorists reject the respect for life shared by African societies across the continent.”

END TO TERRORISM

President Kenyatta told the security chiefs that the people they serve demand nothing less than an end to terrorism and other crimes that hinder the continent’s development.  

He said illicit trade in wildlife products — especially ivory and rhino horns — had increased and should be stopped immediately.
“Our region has been identified as a major and growing centre for this callous commerce.

“Between January and October 2013 alone, over 10 tonnes of ivory were intercepted in Mombasa.”

Mr Kenyatta said the illicit trade in wildlife products hampered the region’s collective security as it fed into terrorism and harmed the region’s reputation, standing and trade with the world.

He said the fight against insecurity was “a process, not an event” and must be won at all cost.

The continent’s cooperation in trade, and a common interest in good governance, security and education were good signs that the challenges would be defeated, he said.

He told the security bosses to ensure that they implement the strategies that they will have agreed on, and that they must create mechanisms for follow-up on the progress.

The East African Community Heads of State, through regular meetings over common interests, had helped reduce transportation of cargo from the Port of Mombasa to Kigali in Rwanda, from one month to only seven days, he said.

He said if the regional police bosses emulated the Presidents, they would consolidate their efforts in combating terrorism and other crimes.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku echoed the need for the EAPCCO member countries to work together in fighting terrorism.

Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo, who took over as the chairman of the organisation, said there would be a follow-up to the meeting to speed up implementation of its resolutions.