by ALLAN KISIA
Friday August 25, 2023
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has announced the government will open up six roads around Boni Forest to step up the war against suspected al Shabaab militants.
Appearing before the National Administration and Internal Security Committee on Thursday, the CS said the government will further closely monitor the activities of locals around the forest.
“People are encroaching the forest pretending to be doing agriculture but harboring criminals,” he told MPs.
Kindiki further said he has asked security bosses in the area to give him proposals on how to effectively deal with the menace.
“I have asked officers in the area to come up with proposals on how to deal with the militants. I have asked them to consult the public when coming up with suggestions,” he said.
Incidents of attacks by militants in the coastal county have been on the rise in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, a lorry driver and his co-driver were killed following an ambush by suspected al-Shabaab militants near the Lango La Simba area on the Lamu-Witu-Garsen Road.
Officials said the vehicle was waylaid by heavily armed militants early in the morning.
And Thursday, security agencies in the county announced they had launched a manhunt for suspected al Shabaab militants who tried to force their way into the Juhudi Primary School IDP camp in Lamu West at dawn.
The heavily armed terrorists raided the camp at around 3:30 a.m. and started shooting randomly.
Al-Shabaab’s violent activities grew significantly in June, with militants launching attacks targeting security forces and civilians.
The attacks took place at a crucial moment, as Somalia and Kenya have entered into an agreement to reopen the border points closed since 2011. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) begins to withdraw its troops from the neighbouring country.