One of the biggest national challenges is the rampant insecurity in the northeastern counties of Garissa, Wajir and Mandera. The problem is a spillover from lawless Somalia with bands of armed gangs allied to Al-Shabaab terrorists increasingly attacking police posts, destroying telecommunication masts, ambushing buses and isolating and killing non-locals.
Bearing the brunt of the violence are ordinary Kenyans, who would wish to go about their business unfettered as they fend for their families.
The terrorist attacks have had devastating effects on the education sector, which has been badly disrupted by an exodus by non-local teachers. Local leaders are concerned, aware that the students will sit the same national examinations with others whose learning was not disrupted.
JUBALAND FORCES
The consequences of denying an opportunity to these children to learn and fully prepare themselves for examinations will be their failure to access opportunities in future for lacking qualifications, through no fault of their own.
The region has, in the past few weeks, seen heightened insecurity with the Somalia conflict being exported to Mandera Town when Somali government troops pursued the regional Jubaland forces across the border. Mandera Governor Ali Roba has warned about deteriorating security in the border town as Jubaland forces flex their muscles from our territory while the Somali National Army masses troops across the border.
Kenya would only be happy to see the looming bloody confrontations averted. As the National Security Council, chaired by President Kenyatta, confirmed last Wednesday, Somalia breached Kenya’s territorial integrity in a recent day-long gunfight. It is the obligation and cardinal duty of the government to protect its citizens and their property.
Dealing with cross-border infiltration by Al-Shabaab to recruit, radicalise and arm Kenyan youth is a security threat that is now compounded by the spillover from the Somali army excursions.
The gravity of the insecurity is evident in the fact that in January and February alone, 16 terrorist attacks were carried out in Garissa, Mandera, Wajir and Lamu counties, immensely disrupting people’s lives. Locals have been killed or abducted as homes were torched and telecommunication masts damaged to cut off their contact with the rest of the country.
As the government tackles the Somali army raids by diplomatic channels and through direct talks with Mogadishu, efforts to secure the region against Al-Shabaab must also be enhanced by improving the mobility of security personnel and information gathering if the goal of defeating the extremists is to be achieved.
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