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Kenya beefs up security ahead of WTO ministerial conference

Xinhua, December 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenyan authorities announced that elaborate security measures have been put in place to ensure that the four-day World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, which will kick off in Nairobi on Tuesday, is incident-free.

Nairobi Police Commandant Japheth Koome said security has been enhanced in Nairobi and its environs, noting that some roads will be closed to ensure that the meeting is not disrupted by militants from Somalia or criminals from Kenya.

Koome said the security officers are committed to ensuring the security of the WTO conference and all security officers are under firm instruction to remain vigilant at all times.

"We will get reinforcement from other counties and we shall be working together with other forces such prisons, intelligence, Kenya police, CID (Criminal Investigation Department), among others," he told journalists in Nairobi.

This will be the first ever Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held in Africa since the WTO entered into force in 1995. An estimated 5,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference, half of whom will be foreigners.

Koome said traffic police will be in place to direct motorists. The roads that may be affected by the disruptions are those near Kenyatta International Conference Centre and hotels where the delegates are staying.

He also said more police patrols and checks have been enhanced.

The police commander has called on motorists to cooperate with police officers and said that those with businesses located along the affected roads would be allowed entry after a thorough search, adding that no vehicular traffic will be permitted.

As some delegates may venture to other places, Koome said security will also be extended to the national parks and social places.

He said the security agencies have been mobilized and briefed to ensure that there is maximum security during and after the conference since some delegates may decide to visit tourist sites.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to officially open the meeting that seeks to liberalize world trade, while developing nations seek better terms for their goods meant for export markets in the developed worlds.

The WTO officially commended in 1995, taking over from the now defunct General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

As of Nov. 13, the global trade body had at least 162 members while two more countries, Liberia and Afghanistan, are expected to join the body. Endit