Tight security in jails to curb terror plots

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku addresses journalists at Harambee house in Nairobi during a cabinet briefing on April 02, 2014 on the state of security in the country. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL

What you need to know:

  • Mr Lenku, who was speaking at Harambee House, Nairobi, during the State of the Nation briefings, said already, a senior officer had been posted to the air unit to revamp it.
  • On the Tuesday shooting of controversial Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Shariff, alias Makaburi, the Cabinet Secretary refuted claims that the government was involved but said that the killing would be investigated

Security in prisons will be enhanced and foreign prisoners repatriated, following reports that criminal attacks were organised from jails.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku Wednesday said that security at the Shimo La Tewa, Kamiti and Naivasha prisons would be beefed up to ensure that terror suspects in custody do not continue planning further attacks.

He said following church raids, the places of worship would be guarded by armed officers.

Mr Lenku, however, maintained that there was no conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims especially at the Coast. “There is no inter-religious conflict. What has happened in churches is purely criminal.”
The minister said the police airwing would be revamped to enable it offer aerial support officers during ground operations.

Mr Lenku, who was speaking at Harambee House, Nairobi, during the State of the Nation briefings, said already, a senior officer had been posted to the air unit to revamp it.

On the Tuesday shooting of controversial Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Shariff, alias Makaburi, the Cabinet Secretary refuted claims that the government was involved but said that the killing would be investigated

On Somali refugees, Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo said that some of those repatriated would be settled in the areas liberated by the Kenya Defence Forces in Somalia. She revealed that the East African Standby Force would be ready for deployment next year. “However, KDF has already attained rapid deployment capability,” she said.

But she said KDF would not pull out of Somalia soon. “This is not the time to discuss exiting Somalia,” she said.

“We instead want the mandate of Amisom extended by one year,” she said.

Ms Omamao said that KDF, which she said was ranked 6th best in Africa and 46th best military outfit globally, had successfully evacuated 3500 Kenyans from South Sudan following the civil unrest between government and rebel forces last year. She however said that the KDF would not move to South Sudan.