CS Kindiki Unveils Advanced Armoured Vehicles For Police Fighting Bandits [PHOTOS]
The CS reiterated the government's focus on complete suppression and neutralisation of terrorism, banditry, livestock rustling and other organised criminal activities.
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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on Wednesday, March 20 presided over the commissioning of a new fleet of advanced armoured vehicles which will be used for security operations to combat banditry and terrorism in the country.
In a statement, the CS reiterated the government's focus on complete suppression and neutralisation of terrorism, banditry, livestock rustling and other organised criminal activities.
This, he said, was a sure way of turning around Kenya's National Security and putting the country on a firm path to equitable development and shared prosperity.
He added that equipment and kitting of frontline officers currently deployed in Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in the North Eastern Region, the Boni Enclave, the Upper Eastern Region, and North Rift Valley remains a key priority deliverable for the Kenya Kwanza Administration.
Armoured vehicles launched by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on March 20, 2024. /KITHURE KINDIKI
"The Government has in the last six(6) months invested Ksh.7.6 Billion and will spend another Ksh.29.4 Billion in the next three(3) years under the Police Equipment Modernisation (PEM) programme to acquire sophisticated protected and mobility equipment," Kindiki stated in part.
The new equipment included Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), Armoured Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)/Drones and Gunship Helicopters.
Others included Mine Sweepers and Personal Protection Equipment to support the sacrificial and patriotic work of Kenya's frontline officers.
"Honoured this afternoon to commission and dispatch the first batch of equipment to support Operation Maliza Uhalifu in North Rift Valley which will be extended to cover The Northern Grazing Area of Meru County, Isiolo and Marsabit Counties and counter-terrorism efforts in North Eastern Region and the Boni Enclave in Lamu County," he added.
The newly acquired equipment will be assigned to officers operating in North Rift Valley as well as the Northern Grazing Area of Meru, Isiolo and Marsabit Counties that have experienced conflict in the recent past.
Some of the new vehicles will also be deployed to the areas near Boni Forest where the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are undertaking an operation to weed out terrorists.
Present during the commissioning were Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo (Internal Security and National Administration), Inspector General of the National Police Service (NPS) Eng. Japhet Koome and Deputy Inspector-General Douglas Kanja (Kenya Police Service)
Others such as Deputy Inspector-General Noor Gabow (Administration Police Service), Director of Criminal Investigations(DCI) Mohamed Amin, General Service Unit (GSU) Commandant Eliud Lagat and other top ranks within the National Police Service were present.
The insurgency-prone regions, particularly along the border areas, have witnessed a surge in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks targeting military convoys and patrols, posing a significant challenge to security forces.
The introduction of these state-of-the-art vehicles marks a significant step forward in the government's efforts to enhance the safety and security of Kenyan troops operating in volatile regions.
With their improved survivability and mobility, these vehicles are expected to reduce the vulnerability of military convoys to IED attacks, thereby safeguarding the lives of servicemen and women on the front lines.
Photos of the vehicles:
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and other government officials inspecting armoured vehicles in Nairobi County on March 20, 2024. /KITHURE KINDIKI
A machine gun mounted on an armoured vehicle in Nairobi County on March 20, 2024. /KITHURE KINDIKI
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and police officers during the commissioning of new armoured vehicles in Nairobi County on March 20, 2024. /KITHURE KINDIKI
