Roundup: Kenya beefs up security amid terror alert

Kenyan police on Friday issued terror alert, saying Somali militants plan to stage attacks in northeastern and the coastal regions as well as Nairobi during this rainy season.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet cautioned Kenyans to be vigilant at all times and report promptly any suspicious characters to security agencies.

"Available information indicates that others could be mobilizing in Somalia and may take advantage of the rainy season to infiltrate through our borders and stage attacks in Northeastern and the Coast regions as well as in Nairobi," Boinett said in Nairobi.

He said the police are reliably informed that other Al-Shabaab operatives in Somalia are planning to take advantage of the El Nino rains to cross into Kenya.

"I therefore wish to inform the public that terror threats are still alive and that Al-Shabaab and their sympathizers are still keen to do us harm in furtherance of their evil agenda," he said.

Kenya continues to suffer several attacks as terrorists change tuck to beat heightened security and carry on with their heinous acts undetected.

Most of these attacks occurred in northeastern Kenya, mainly in Dadaab, Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties as well as in the coastal regions.

The government said the security agencies are gradually dismantling terrorists and vowed to purge these criminals roaming in the country.

The alert came after the police circulated names and pictures of five Kenyans suspected to be involved in Al-Shabaab activities across the East African nation.

The five suspects who are believed to be in Al-Shabaab camps in Somalia are planning to slip into Kenya to carry out attacks on different locations on unspecified occasions.

Among the five suspects is a female suicide bomber Shamim Wanjiru Hussein, who according to the police is wanted alongside her husband Omar Patroba Juma who was among the group that attacked Baure military camp in Lamu in June.

The police said while the target and timing is unknown, it is likely that Shamim will reach out to her friends and family, some of whom live in Nairobi.

Boinett however said security agencies have heightened vigilance across the country and urged Kenyans to collaborate with the officers to help secure the nation.

"Security agencies have been hard at work to safeguard our country and hence call upon the public to continue collaborating with us, in defence of our motherland," he said.

"We call upon members of the public to cooperate with security agencies and private security guards, especially when they are carrying our searchers at entrances to public places and private institutions including social joints, bus stations, shopping malls, places of worship and learning institutions among other places," he added.

He said all vehicles seeking access to such places, whether owned by the government, any parastatal or privately owned must be subjected to thorough search with no exceptions granted.

Al-Shabaab militants have vowed to attack Nairobi after the east African nation, launched cross border incursion into southern Somalia in 2011 to flush out the insurgents it blamed for kidnappings of tourists.

The security officers say the East African nation was playing a pivotal role in ensuring that terrorism and other forms of criminal activities threatening the country's security were minimized if not eliminated.

Kenya has maintained its enviable reputation as an island of peace in a sea of turmoil since independence in 1963.

As neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa and central African region roiled in civil strife, Kenya remained peaceful and played host to millions of refugees fleeing bloodshed in Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Endit