Boni Forest security operation targets 13 villages in Lamu and Garissa

Sunday September 13, 2015

Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Joseph Nkaissery, flanked by among others, his Principal Secretary Dr Nancy Juma, Commander of Defence Forces Samson Mwathethe and Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett addresses the media at Mpeketoni School grounds in Lamu County on Friday ahead of an operation to flash out Al Shaabab Militants around the Boni Forest.

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MOMBASA: The Northern parts of Lamu and southern Garissa County is now a security one and a multiagency security team operation to flush out Al Shabaab remnants believed to be hiding in the expansive Boni forest.

Friday Interior Ministry Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaisserry said he has gazetted 13 villages and the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) joined by police units moved in pacify the area in one of the biggest internal security operation to combat the Al Shabaab fighters.

The area to be comped by the forces has been classified as Boni enclave and Nkaissery said Friday in Lamu that the operation would be led by Administration Police units. "To ensure an effective operation, the Government has gazetted through notice number 93 of 2nd September 2015 which defines Boni enclave. The areas include Holugho Border Point, Galmagala, Sangilu, Ijara, Bodhei, Milimani, Baurre, Basuba, Mangai, Malalani, Kiunga, Ishakani and Dar-es-Salaam Border Point" said Nkaissery in a Statement last evening.

The government believes the said 13 areas are hotbed of jihadists linked to multiple terror attacks in Tana River, Garissa and Lamu counties in the last two years. The vast Boni forest area, along the Kenya Somalia border extends into Somalia to become Lacta Belt and Al Shabaab operatives have been infiltrating into this habitation with the aim of using its cover as an operational base.

Nkaissery said that Al Shabaab fighters had moved to Boni enclave following defeat of the group from most parts of southern Somali.

"In an attempt to hold some ground they have turned southwards under the cover of the belt crossing our borders into Lamu and used this to move into Malindi, Mombasa, Garissa and the rest of the country," said Nkaissery.

The CS said these in Mpeketeno after he launched a three months security operation to track down the Al Shabaab fighters in the expansive Boni forest. Security team say that the forested and bushy environment in the areas gazetted gives terrorists cover against both mobile and aerial surveillance.

"Due to the complexity of this operation which extends from Lamu, through Tana River and Garissa counties, the Government has deployed a multi–agency teams that will rehabilitate roads, schools and health centres and build new ones where necessary," said Nkaissery. He was flanked by Samson Mwathethe (Chief of Defense Forces), Joseph Boinett (Inspector of Police), Nancy Juma (Principal Secretary Interior) and other top security officials.

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