Threats of terrorism and violent extremism in Northern Kenya and the Upper Coastal Regions, including Tana River and Lamu counties, have prompted the Government to launch a security operation.

The operation entails the deployment of special troops and elite units charged with tracking and disarming armed criminals, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki emphasized on Wednesday.

Kindiki said, "We honor and pay homage to our brave multi-agency security agents who have lost their lives while working to protect our country and its citizens from criminals.



"The Government will continue to provide our officers with cutting-edge equipment and tools to improve their ability to deal with criminals," said the Government.

He offered several options, such as giving officers government protection when they legally defend themselves and the public against armed criminals using their allocated weapons.

Speaking in Tana River County, Kindiki urged bordering villages to live in peace with one another.

Political leaders must stop stirring up the populace to resolve old grievances. Regardless of their political background, he said any leader who calls for violence will be detained and tried.



Additionally, Kindiki formally proclaimed Galledyertu as a fully functional Sub-County and announced that the Government would hire a contractor to start building the Sub-County Headquarters in the area on October 1, 2023.

Representatives from the Coast Region, Tana River County, and Galledyertu Sub-County Security and Intelligence Committees, as well as Tana River Governor Godhana Dhadho and Senator Danson Mungatana, were present.

A purported al Shabaab attack in the nearby Lamu County left one person dead and seven homes in ruins just hours before the event.

At around 2:00 AM on Wednesday, the attack occurred in the Widhu neighborhood of the Mkunumbi ward.