Interior Cabinet Secretary Kitihure Kindiki has urged Kenyans to provide information and leads to help capture 35 individuals suspected of being involved in recent attacks in Lamu and Boni Forest along the Coastal region. These suspects are believed to have planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on various roads along the coast, resulting in the loss of several lives.
The suspects are also accused of orchestrating an attack on the American Military Base at Manda Bay on January 5, 2020. In an effort to aid the public in identifying these suspects, CS Kindiki has made their names public, with the intention of assisting the government in their apprehension.
Additionally, the government has announced cash rewards for individuals providing credible information that leads to the arrest of any of these suspects. The suspects have been ordered to surrender to the nearest police station without delay.
CS Kindiki emphasized that while arresting and neutralizing the terrorists is the primary objective, the Ministry has implemented additional security measures in the most affected areas, including Lamu County. The government has declared a strong stance against terrorists associated with Al Shabaab, who have been responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians.
This announcement comes at a time when terrorist attacks in the country, especially along the Kenyan Coast, have been on the rise. A report by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) published on September 1 points to President William Ruto’s decision to restructure the country’s top security leadership and insufficient security cooperation between the Kenyan and Somali governments as contributing factors to the increased attacks. The reduction of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops, which began in June, has also been noted as a factor.
