Revamped police unit begins patrols at transport route

The special police unit to combat cargo theft and general crime along the Northern Corridor route in the country has begun its operations.

The Northern Corridor Transit Patrol Unit (NCTPU) will operate between Mombasa and Busia and has been divided into 10 sectors, each headed by an officer of the rank of a Superintendent of Police (SP).

The move is part of the plan to ensure that the goods move faster after President Uhuru Kenyatta warned that the government would not tolerate the continued theft of goods in transit, and directed that a joint unit be constituted.

The unit replaces the Highway Patrol Unit (HPU) that was established for the same purpose but focused more on traffic issues.

Police records indicate that cargo and vehicle thefts, drugging and even loss of lives have been reported over the last few years.

Already, police have formed a working committee with the Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) to ensure goods transported on the route, mainly from the port of Mombasa, are secured.

The committee will issue reports on a monthly basis to assess its effectiveness until the vice is eliminated permanently.

The Kenya Police spokesman Charles Owino on Sunday said that with the establishment of the unit, cargo movement was expected to be safer and faster, "eventually making the Northern Corridor the route of choice".

The unit, headed by SSP Emmanuel Mwaringa Karisa, has about 300 officers.

Sector 4, for example, will cover the route between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and the Mai-Mahiu turn off.

Sector 9 will cover between Kisumu and Busia.

The route connects Kenya from the port to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Mr Owino said that the unit will also cover the Isebania route to Tanzania.

Comparatively, it takes a longer time than the Southern or Central corridor for cargo to reach its destination.

This, the government said had resulted in some transporters rerouting to Tanzania.