Uhuru commissions modern gear for police use in terror war

Police officers Monday received Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to use in volatile areas, in a measure the President says is meant to modernise the force.

President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned the APCs at GSU headquarters in Nairobi.

According to the President, the APCs will wean the Kenya Police Service from dependence on the military or other security agencies for performance of their duties.

“The purchase of the APCs is a very important milestone as it will go along way in securing the frontier areas of our country,” said President Kenyatta at the commissioning ceremony.

The move to equip the police with protective vehicles is a first in the history of the country and is also meant to increase their mobility. The plan comes in the wake of increasing terror threats, where several security officers have lost their lives in the past as they tried to prevent or repulse Al-Shabaab attacks.

Several police officers, especially at the northeastern region, have been killed by ambushes by Al-Shabaab militants who use landmines, Improvised Explosive Devices and firearms.