KDF holds counter-terrorism sensitisation forums in Lamu

Locals residing in Boni frontier villages of Lamu County were on Saturday sensitised on counter-terrorism by the Kenya Defense Forces troops that were deployed under Operation Amani Boni (OAB).

The Counter-Terrorism (CT) sensitisation forums in several villages in Lamu County were organised by the Security Sector Counter-Violent Extremism (SSCVE) team, in partnership with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops deployed under OAB.

Led by Colonel Yahya Mohamed of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, the exercise aimed to raise awareness about the dangers of terrorism and the importance of community involvement in combating it.

During the forums held in Bobo, Roka and Misumarini, representatives from various security agencies and leaders from the County Government of Lamu came together to address the issue of radicalisation.

They recognized that radicalisation remains a significant factor in fueling violent extremism, particularly among religious communities.

They also stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to demystify extremist ideologies and reduce the potential recruitment of young people into terrorist groups.

Colonel Yahya emphasized the significance of these joint counter-terrorism sensitization forums in the Boni frontier villages.

He stated that they represent a crucial step towards combating radicalisation and violent extremism.

"Joint Counter-Terrorism sensitization forums by the SSCVE team in the Boni frontier villages underline a crucial step towards combating radicalization and violent extremism," said Col Yahya.

Community engagement

He also emphasised the importance of continued community engagement and inter-agency cooperation in sustaining progress against terrorism.

Following the frequent attacks in Lamu, the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia road is one of Kenya's largest projects intended to open up northern Kenya, however, it is having challenges.

The road project is 453 kilometres long overall and is a part of the Sh17.9 billion Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (Lapsset) Corridor project.

The road is now among the riskiest in Kenya due to attacks with rocket-propelled guns and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), as the threat of insecurity posed by Al Shabaab continues to escalate

At the same time, three separate attacks in Lamu County in 2022 that resulted in four fatalities and one injured police officer brought attention to the multi-agency OAB's operations.

The main goal of the national government's operation, originally known as "Linda Boni," which began in September 2015, was to extract the al-Shabaab militia who were thought to be hiding in the deep Boni forest.

Operation Fagia Msitu, formerly known as Linda Boni but renamed several times to Boni Enclave Campaign, is still in progress to pacify Lamu and areas of Tana River, Kilifi, and Garissa that surround the vast Boni Forest.