Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Gilbert Masengeli and his Kenya Police Service counterpart Eliud Lagat on Friday, October 18, 2024, visited various security apparatus at the coast region following a rise in insecurity in the region.

The two senior police bosses camped in the region following clashes in Tana River county which has seen at least 20 people killed in tribal conflict.

This comes just weeks after the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki imposed a 30-day curfew in troubled areas in the County.

In the gazette notice dated Friday, October 11, 2024, Kindiki declared troubled the areas of Madogo, Areri, Saka, Sala, Mororo and Mbalambala in the Bangale sub-county.

Also, the other areas in the Tana North sub-county which were declared troubled are Hirimani, Hosingo, Dukanotu, Chewele, Nanighi and Bura locations.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 106 (1) of the National Police Service Act, 2011, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, in consultation with the National Security Council, declares the following parts of Tana River County as security disturbed and dangerous,” the notice read.

Adding: “This notice shall take effect on 11th October 2024 as from 6.30 p.m. for a period of thirty (30) days and may, at any time be withdrawn or continued in force for such further period as the Cabinet Secretary may, in each case, by notice in the Gazette direct.”

In a separate gazette notice, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja ordered residents in the area to surrender their firearms for safekeeping during the entire 30-day curfew imposed by Interior CS.

Kanja assured the residents that their firearms would be returned after normalcy returns in the troubled Tana River region.

The clashes came to a head when an elderly man was shot dead at a watering point in Anole alongside a 35-year-old man.

The killings led to retaliations from the involved clans, resulting in the arrest of Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana on Saturday, October 12, 2024, alongside Galole MP Said Hiribae and their questioning over the clashes.

“It is true we have arrested Tana River Governor and Galole MP Said Hiribae. The two politicians were summoned to our offices over the ongoing clashes in Tana River but they failed to honour summonses,” DCI boss Amin Mohamed clarified.