Major Kenyan cities are set to benefit from CCTV camera installations to help fight terrorism and crime-related activities. This follows the US$100 million grant given to Kenya by the People’s Republic of China to curb terrorism.
Speaking during a parliament session in Nairobi Wednesday, Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga told the parliament the government was concerned with the security of Kenyans after its involvement in the Somali liberation and had taken measures to curb any Al-Qaeda linked Al Shabaab terrorist attacks.
“The country is at the moment facing a lot of security challenges arising from the operation in Somalia. With Al Shabaab’s capability to wage conventional warfare completely degraded, the militia has resorted to guerrilla tactics. This includes the use of grenades, improvised explosive devices and sporadic shootings to attack business premises, security forces and members of the public,” Odinga said.
The CCTV cameras are part of the government’s plans to beef up security amidst attacks from the militia group volunteers and agents.
A number of Kenyans have previously suffered the brunt of terror at the arms of the rebels, when attacks began at a city pub, and later at a city bus park earlier this year.
Several other attacks have been at Gerille administrative post in Wajir South, Mtwapa open-air crusade, Ngara Pentecostal Church, a Mombasa hotel and Ifo police station in Dadaab district and shootings in refugee camps in the country’s bordering towns.
Odinga further revealed that the government had spent KSh7.5 billion to fight the Al shabaab in Somalia, and sent about 4,000 Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to Somali, since October last year.
The cameras will be installed in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret and several other major towns countrywide.
Somalia has been in war for more than two decades and several centres have been allegedly attacked by the Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab in Somalia.
The Somali Civil War has been fought for decades forcing Somalis to flee the country for peace and asylum.
According to the UNHCR’s 2011 Statistical snapshot, Kenya has 402,905 refugees,27,966 asylum seekers, 300,000 IDPs and 20,000 stateless persons therefore it has no capacity, according to a section of Kenyans, to host more refugees from Somalia or Sudan.
Odinga responded to this saying Kenya will set up centres inside Somalia in the peaceful areas to cater for the Somali refugees to avoid their influx into Kenya, which is allegedly hurting the country’s economy.
