Police step up patrols in public places

Security forces have been deployed to spots frequented by crowds in Mombasa like Kenyatta Public Beach and Mama Ngina Drive.

At Likoni crossing channel, ferry users were on Monday advised to be alert and vigilant. Police asked them to report the presence of persons acting in a suspicious manner.

“Kenyans and foreigners living in this region should be 24/7 alert and vigilant wherever they go, especially areas that are frequented by huge crowds,” Coast Regional Criminal Investigation Officer Henry Ondiek said.

He said they had stepped up patrols and surveillance to thwart any attempt to attack the region. The new measures were taken following the terrorist attack on Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi on Saturday.

EXTRA VIGILANT

Mr Ondiek called on private security firms manning business premises to be extra vigilant. He said they should frisk people and screen vehicles before allowing them into their premises.

“Security has been intensified here because it is a tourist hub and the fragility of the tourism industry... cannot be compromised at whatever cost,” he said.

He urged residents to cooperate with the police and volunteer information on suspicious characters.

Likoni ferry passengers called on the government to instal screening gadgets at the waiting bays of Kenya Ferry Service.