Kenya is working on a surveillance system to show, using technology, what is happening on its border with Somali as a mitigation measure to prevent terrorist attack of the magnitude of Westgate siege, Interior and Coordination of National Government, Cabinet Secretary, Joseph Ole lenku has said.
Speaking to CNN’s Nima Elbagir on Monday, Ole Lenku admitted that the incredibly porous, 800Kilometres Kenya-Somali border was a major ‘secret’ route for terrorists especially the Al Shabaab drawn from Somalia and hence the planned technological measures to keep them out of Kenya.
“The border is a major security concern as the points of entry are far too many. We are working on a surveillance system to show what is happening in the entire borderline. We are also putting up a command and control system that provides CCTV surveillance for the cities and also the border,” Ole Lenku told Nima during the interview.
When asked about the network that was behind the Westgate attack and how much it was regional network, Ole Lenku explained, “There are a number of theories that are being put together. There’s the Entebbe theory telling how there is a movement that came to Kenya, went to Entebbe and then came back.”
“Forensic investigations are underway to ascertain reports that the Al Shabaab network that attacked Westage originally landed in Entebbe and then came over the border from Uganda.”
The Cabinet Secretary also told CNN that corrupt security officers were a major setback to security and hence integrity will be a major consideration when recruiting new police officers going forward.
“People are noticing that there’s a new requirement for service in terms of integrity and that those who will not meet that threshold will not be allowed into their service,” he said adding on that the vetting process for police officer which began last week, will see a number of corrupt officers removed from the system.
The vetting exercise for police officers is being carried out because corruption has been a loophole and an avenue for insecurity according to Ole Lenku.
Asked what he would have done differently, Ole Lenku said, “We have a number of lessons learned from this Westgate attack. One of it is to synchronise the activities of our intelligence, our military and our police: a common standard operating procedure for the forces of the country is being worked on.”
“We are strengthening our response to disaster, and we got a lot of support from well-wishers, some specific country like Israel, Germany, the US and British have come in,” he said.
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