Security heightened at the Coast as tourists flock hotels

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec, 22 – Security along the country’s coastal region has been beefed up ahead of the festive season.

Police have increased surveillance after intelligence reports revealed increased terror related activities along the costal strip.

The move partly comes in the wake of the recent terror attack where a team of special forces from the Border Patrol Unit (BPU) escaped death by a whisker, after their vehicle was targeted by Al-Shabaab militants in Nyangoro area, Lamu County.

The suspected terrorists escaped soon after their failed Sunday attempt to hit the vehicle using an improvised explosive device (IED).

The targeted vehicle was escorting buses along the Lamu-Garsen route when the incident occurred forcing police to engage the militants in a heavy gun battle before repulsing them.

Mombasa County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo told Shahidi News that the coastal region has already started experiencing an influx in both domestic and foreign tourists and as a result security protocols have been put in place to guarantee their safety.

“In the wake of recent attacks, we have beefed up security in key government installations and we will conduct thorough checks along our highways particulalry those leading into Lungalunga and Lamu to ensure the safety of travelers,” the Mombasa County Commissioner said

Already, Motorists have been urged to adhere to the road safety rules to avoid being found on the wrong side of law.

On Tuesday, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai l revealed that a multi-agency team consisting of officers from the National Police Service, National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), and a special contingent of officers from the Prisons Service will now be deployed across the country to implement the set directives.

The coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Lamu are expected to encounter a surge in tourists during Christmas and New Year festivities.

Kitiyo further revealed that security agencies have also led crackdowns in several areas across Mombasa following the re-emergence of criminal gangs hoping to take advantage of revelers in the sunny coastal city by robbing and causing them harm.

“We have had a problem of criminal gangs for a long time but for the last one year we have managed to control these gangs, however we are not taking this for granted. We know sometimes they can re-emerge when others are busy celebrating, so we have put tams in place to deal with these juvenile gangs,” he said.

Police also revealed that the outlawed Mombasa republican Council (MRC) has also become active in recent weeks.

“MRC have in recent weeks attempted to conduct oathing within mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi, however we managed to contain this and as a result we have arrested 68 members of the MRC and are in custody. They have been arrested in the last one month. Some are waiting to pay fines,” he said.

Police continue to conduct mapping out of various hotspots that may be targets for terrorists.