Rebels from a rag-tag army in neighbouring Somalia drove into Kenyan soil, took a village hostage and engaged police in a 30-minute gun-battle, seriously wounding seven citizens.
The militiamen in two vehicles caught the village in Wajir unawares and outgunned the few policemen as they attacked the homes of miraa traders. This is not the first time militiamen from the chaotic Somalia have wounded, killed or kidnapped Kenyans.
Since the collapse of the Somali Government in 1991, the country's breakdown of law and order continues to pose a challenge to our security agents.
Granted, the Somalia border is too long to be policed at every point. The army has personnel positioned in strategic positions near the border and this has psychologically kept the militia groups at bay. However, the areas along this border that are inhabited should be thoroughly policed to deter such brazen attacks on Kenyan citizens.
Recent attacks point to a pattern that should be checked. Police posts near the border should be well manned and well equipped.
The security forces should also gather intelligence across the border so that information about impending attacks filters through.
In all previous attacks, the militiamen have successfully raided their targets and safely got back to their bases. It is high time the militias in Somalia got the message that conducting a raid on Kenyan soil is risky and costly.
Source: The Standard | Online Edition
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