Kenya to equip police with modern vehicle to boost anti-terror fight

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said his government will acquire armoured vehicles for the police to help boost the fight against terrorism across the East African nation.

Kenyatta said the armoured personnel carriers will help the police to fight terrorism and organised crime without depending on the military which is involved in the fight against Al-Shabaab in neighbouring Somalia.

"In order to provide protective gear to the officers deployed in volatile areas, I am proud to announce that for the first time in the history of this country, the National Police Service will be provided with armoured personal carriers (APCs)," Kenyatta said in Nairobi on Saturday while closing a meeting of top police chiefs.

The Kenyan leader said terrorist attacks led to serious trouble in key sectors of the economy, tourism among them.

"I wish, however, to thank the various actors through whose efforts this very important sector of our economy is now on the road to recovery. We owe our safety and recovery to your ability to quickly adapt to the new security environment," he said.

He said police helicopters which have been grounded were under repair, noting that his government would acquire two more police helicopters by June.

"As of today, two MI 17 helicopter troop carriers have been taken in for complete overhaul, while a new helicopter has been procured, and will be arriving in the country in the next few weeks," Kenyatta said.

"I anticipate that by June this year, we shall have two new helicopters, and three refurbished units brought back to near-new condition. This will sharply improve our ability to quickly move troops to any trouble spot," he said.

Kenyatta said the last three years have seen the country face numerous security challenges related to terror attacks by misguided perpetrators who have been trying to divide Kenyans along religious lines.

"While I applaud Kenyans for refusing to fall into this trap, I must also thank our security agencies for their steadfastness in ensuring that Kenya remains one," he said.

The president said terrorist attacks exposed a number of operational gaps in the ability of the country's security services to respond effectively.

Some of these, Kenyatta said, included a glaring lack of proper liaison amongst the various security services which compromised efficiency in the sharing of crucial information.

"To mitigate this situation, Joint Operation Centers were established with a multiagency representation for the improvement of information sharing and coordination amongst the various actors in the security sector," he said.

Kenyatta said a total of 2,220 assorted vehicles have been provided through a lease arrangement which has more than doubled police visibility on the ground.

He said the government has awarded a contract for the installation of a National Secure Communication Network and Surveillance System for the National Police Service.

"This state-of-the art system provides a hitherto missing link in the surveillance of Nairobi and Mombasa. I am happy with the progress so far, and today we boast of reduced crime figures in the areas that have been covered,"" he said.

The security project puts Kenya firmly on the map of countries that are pioneering in the use of technology as a solution to combat crime.

The system, which the government was buying without putting the deal out to tender, is expected to link all security agencies, making it easy to share information and direct operation.

The security surveillance system will also run on an independent 4G/LTE security communications network using designated International Telecommunications Union standards. It will therefore not run on Safaricom's commercial network.

Kenya has been playing a pivotal role in ensuring that terrorism and other forms of criminal activities threatening the country's security were minimized if not eliminated.

The fight against terrorism in Kenya has been a patchwork of successes and failures but the Westgate shopping mall, Garissa university in Kenya and the El-Adde attacks in southern Somalia attacks reminded everyone that fresh impetus must be injected to conquer this evil. Enditem