Monday, October 21, 2013
Stringent security measures have been put in place in the North
Rift region, including Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana County, to curb
the entry of Al-Shabaab militants.
The measures include
thorough vetting of refugees being admitted to the camp and restricted
movements to other parts of the county.
Police patrols
along the border with Somalia have also been beefed up to curb entry by
cattle rustlers and bandits, among other criminals.
“We
are no longer accepting any refugee at the camp without referral
letters from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees office or
relevant government office acknowledging their status,” said Turkana
West police boss Jonathan Ngala.
He said that refugees
at the camp will not be allowed to move out unless they have compelling
reasons such as seeking medical treatment.
“Those in
search of treatment outside Kakuma Hospital are required to have
referral letters and none of them are allowed to engage in business
outside the camp,” said Mr Ngala.
Kakuma camp is the second biggest in the country after Dadaab.
It
is home to 72,000 refugees, among them 45,000 Somalis, 15,000 South
Sudan immigrants and the rest are from Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi,
among other countries.
“The close security monitoring
at the refugee camp will be extended to social places to get rid of
illegal immigrants and maintain law and order,” said Mr Ngala.
He
said several police roadblocks had been mounted along the
Lodwar-Lokichogio road, the gateway to South Sudan, to check on
immigrants out to capitalise on porous border points to enter the
country.
“Motorists should report suspicious passengers
and carry out thorough checks on luggage to ensure that it does not
contain dangerous objects like explosives,” said the police boss.
An
impending police swoop has sparked tension among illegal Somali
immigrants who have been living and operating businesses in parts of the
North Rift region. Some of them have been staying with Somalis of
Kenyan origin and went on to establish businesses in major towns in the
region.
At the same time, an MP has revealed the
presence of Al-Shabaab militants in Turkana County after he received
intelligence reports on Friday.
Turkana South MP James
Lomenen told residents that the presence of the militants was exposed
when police introduced strict security measures to ensure only eligible
refugees are accommodated at Kakuma camp after the Westgate mall attack.
Mr
Lomenen said the militants are among those who did not have legal
documents to access the camp and now spend nights at some lodgings in
Lodwar, Kakuma and Lokichar towns, where they plan their activities such
as transporting missiles to various places, including Garissa.
The
lawmaker was addressing mourners on Saturday during the burial of Ms
Ruth Nanok, the wife of former district commissioner Peter Eripete at
Kanam Kemer in Turkana Central District.