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The government has adopted a number of strategies to address persistent terrorism threat in the North Eastern and parts of the Coastal regions.

These include sustained patrols and surveillance as more resources are being invested in accelerating the long-awaited security sector reforms.

Key among them involve equipping and kitting of specialised units with more sophisticated weapons and protective gear.

Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo said at the weekend the government is now going all out to expedite the programme, whose implementation has been wedged into a period of two years.

Speaking in Malindi after addressing the technical committee on Police Reforms, he announced that the National Taskforce led by Chief Justice (Rtd) David Maraga, would in a week’s time submit its report to the President with the ultimate goal of addressing the welfare of security officers and at the same time enhance their effectiveness.

“Alongside the equipping of our police officers, we expect to see very critical and specific recommendations. From those recommendations, we expect to extract specific action points based on the implementation metrics, which will go a long way in ensuring that issues affecting the police are properly addressed,” he said.

New reforms

President William Ruto’s first budget for the 2023/24 Financial Year allocated Sh500 million to initiate the first phase of the progressive Equipment Modernisation Programme under which specialised and formed units will receive new protective gear, armoured personnel carriers, mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, drones, and gunship helicopters to improve their capacity in preventing and responding to terror threats.

The programme will also be extended to acquisition of sophisticated and modern communication gadgets as well as in-service training on culture change and infusion of professionalism in the service.

During the meeting,  the PS noted that it will take genuine and seamless collaboration between government agencies, civil society groups, and the public to counter violent extremism.