Scores of police reservists deployed to border as exams start

More than 200 police reservists have been deployed on border areas in Wajir County to bolster security during the ongoing national exams.

Wajir South Deputy County Commissioner Felix Kisalu said that the 261 National Police Reservist recruited will assist the police in providing community security in Wajir South.  

The new recruits will be posted to exam centres and grazing zone in the sub-county that borders the Somalia border.

Mr Kisalu said Kenya Defence Forces soldiers will also provide back up to the police, especially during transportation of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam papers. 

The administrators said that schools in Diff, Gherille, Salalma and Ibrahim Ure areas will receive extra security because of their proximity to the border. 

A standby chopper is also available should the weather change to transport exam papers to areas that may be rendered inaccessible by road. 

“For now it has not rained but we will have air support in case the weather changes,” he said. 

Wajir County is among the counties that are still facing threats from the Al-Qaeda linked militant group, Al Shabaab.

On Friday, the county security team held a meeting with Governor Mohamed Abdi on countering violent extremism in the area.

The governor said that in a bid to combat terrorism, young people needed to be engaged positively and supported financially to stop them from joining such groups.​