North Eastern Kenya(Mogadsihu24)– Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, has on Wednesday unveiled ambitious plans to prioritize the security and development of the North Eastern region.

During his extensive visits to Wajir, Mandera, and Garissa Counties, the minister sought to motivate frontline security officers and held security briefings with local communities. He emphasized the government’s dedication to ensuring round-the-clock security for contractors and engineers engaged in vital infrastructure projects.

“The Government will provide round the clock security to contractors and engineers working on key infrastructure projects in North Eastern Kenya and insulate them from criminal elements and extremists keen on sabotaging their operations,” Minister Kindiki said.

He further added that the government has intensified its partnerships with local communities to combat terrorism.

“The Government has upscaled partnerships with the local communities to flush out criminal elements and violent extremists,” he added.

The Minister underscored the government’s commitment to strengthen security and introduce the use of advance equipment. This initiative not only strengthens the security apparatus but also addresses the welfare of the dedicated security officers involved.

“To ensure the safety of security officers, plans are at an advanced stage to procure modern equipment, including choppers, drones, MRAPs, and APCs. The Government will invest more than Ksh.20B in the modernization of security equipment and address the welfare of security officers,” the minister said.

One of the most significant projects highlighted in the post is the construction of the Garissa-Wajir-Mandera and Lamu-Mandera roads. These ambitious road networks are set to transform the North Eastern region, opening up remote communities and connecting them to vital economic centers.

The Minister’s visit coincided with a string of recent attacks by Al-Shabaab on security forces, leading to the tragic loss of over 10 lives as a result of landmine explosions.