The government will fast track completion of the security wall on the Kenya-Somalia border to deter al Shabaab militants. Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia said Friday work on the project has resumed after it stalled for more than one-and-a-half years.
Construction work, he said, will be manned by Kenya Defence Forces personnel who are on the ground. Shisia said trouble spots such as Fino, Omar Jillow and Arabia would be shielded from frequent attacks by the militia, within the 30 kilometres stretch to be covered by the wall.
Area Governor Ali Roba, welcomed the initiative saying it would curb entry of illegal immigrants from Somalia. Roba blamed locals for facilitating terrorists, and asked them to cooperate with security agents in fighting the vice. “No terror attack will succeed without the support of the locals.
They have been hiding in our midst before executing attacks,” said the Governor, adding that most youths in the county have been radicalised. He welcomed the recently imposed curfew by Interior Cabinet secretary Joseph Nkaissery saying it would minimise attacks.
Roba asked Christians and Muslims to co-exist and condemned al Shabaab’s tactic of dividing Kenyans on religious lines. He said al Shabaab have been killing Muslims in Somalia while in Kenya, they have been deploying a different tact to woo locals’ support.
Many County Government projects have stalled as non-local experts have fled the region over security concerns. The County Government is yet to complete a 25 kilometres tarmac stretch as engineers fled the region after a series of attacks targeting non-locals.
The County Commissioner said the curfew would go on for the coming 60 days and it was aimed at restoring security in areas neighbouring the Somalia border. He said within the first day of the curfew, 15 people were arrested within the wrong hours as stipulated in a special Kenyan Gazette.
Elders who attended the function asked the government to continue with the curfew and fast track construction of the wall. Mohamed Gesse and Maalim Adan Noor blamed the youth for being radicalised at the expense of nation building.
They separately condoled with families of 19 people killed in Mandera town this week saying many locals were patriotic and have distanced themselves from the attackers. Meanwhile, Mandera residents have been forced to close business early as Kenya Defence Forces personnel patrol the region.
The Government has promised to increase the number of security agents in the region to curb further attacks which have been conducted by organized terror cells