Friday, October 14, 2016
By STEPHEN ASTARIKO
A policeman takes position while patrolling the Kenya- Somalia border near Mandera town on February 6, 2015 /REUTERS
Two MPs from Garissa county have urged the national government to increase the number of police officers in camps bordering Somalia and equip them with modern weapons.
Garissa woman representative Shukran Gure and Dadaab MP Mohamed Dahiye said the officers should match al Shabaab’s firepower.
They spoke in Garissa town yesterday after visiting Hamey police post, where three officers were killed and one kidnapped after it was attacked by al Shabaab last week.
Gure said the officers work under deplorable conditions and are ill-equipped. Dahiye said it is emerging that al Shabaab militants are targeting border posts because of their vulnerability and poor equipment.
Some of the officers who spoke to the Star on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said communication is the biggest problem. “It becomes difficult to communicate with other reinforcement camps when we are under attack,” he said.
The officers said the weaponry they use is outdated, but al Shabaab use superior arms. “We are using G3 rifles, which stop after firing a few bullets. This leaves us in the hands of the enemy,” an officer said.