Kenya Bolsters Festive Defenses: Multi-Agency Crackdown on Crime as Holidays Near.
As Kenyans gear up for the joyous Christmas and New Year celebrations, the government has issued strong assurances of ramped-up security measures nationwide.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen emphasized that security forces are on high alert to curb potential threats like robberies, terrorism, and traffic accidents during the peak holiday period.
This proactive stance builds on lessons from previous years, where festive spikes in crime such as house break-ins in urban areas like Nairobi and Mombasa have marred the season.
Murkomen highlighted deployments of over 10,000 additional officers from the National Police Service (NPS), General Service Unit (GSU), and Administration Police Service (APS).
These teams will patrol highways, shopping malls, places of worship, and entertainment hotspots, with a special focus on border points amid regional tensions in the Horn of Africa.
“Similar coordination centres have been activated at regional and county levels to enhance operational command and control,” read the statement.
“These efforts are complemented by the festive season Operation Orders operationalized by the National Police Service to ensure coordinated, intelligence-led security operations and effective maintenance of law and order across the country.”
Multi-Agency Collaboration at the Core
The strategy isn’t just about numbers; it’s a coordinated effort. The National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) is partnering with intelligence units to monitor extremist activities, referencing recent foiled plots linked to Al-Shabaab.
Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and traffic police promise stricter enforcement on major roads like the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, where fatal accidents often surge due to overloaded vehicles and reckless driving.
This also spotlight tech integrations, such as drone surveillance in high-risk zones and the Ushahidi platform for real-time public crime reporting. “We are leaving no stone unturned,” Kipchumba assured and urged citizens to stay vigilant.
Kipchumba Murkomen revealed that regional and county security committees have bolstered counter-terrorism readiness, ramping up surveillance around major public events and vital infrastructure.
In parallel, a countrywide operation against illicit brews and drugs is underway, spearheaded by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) in tandem with police units.
The government has further intensified crackdowns on organized criminal gangs while strengthening enforcement against offenses including female genital mutilation, defilement, early pregnancies, forced marriages, domestic violence, and religious extremism.
Murkomen called on Kenyans to stay alert and partner with security forces, stressing that safeguarding the public is a collective duty.