The Regional Commissioner of North-eastern Kenya, Mohamed Birik on Thursday warned that the government is committed to tracing missing youth suspected to have joined extremist groups.
The commissioner indicated that parents whose children have disappeared have an obligation of reporting to the authorities lest they are considered sympathizers of the terror groups.
Birik stated, “It is a part of the enhanced war on terror. Those who fail to report their missing children will be taken to have a hand in illegal activities."
The government official also went ahead to specify that the authorities will move from house to house to seek information on the whereabouts of youth missing for a while.
Birik was speaking to reporters in his office in Garissa as he displayed AK-47 rifles that were recovered from refugee camps in separate operations by the police.
He indicated, “We’ve stepped up efforts to secure the border with Somalia to prevent movement of Al-Shabaab militants into the country.”
The terror group claimed responsibility for the recent attack in Nairobi that claimed the lives of 21 people. A number of suspects have so far been arrested by the authorities in relation to the attack.
Among them are two suspects who were arrested at the Hagadera refugee camp in the region with foreign passports. They are still being interrogated by a multi-agency security team operating therein.
Birik also communicated that Kenya Police Reservists had been recruited and deployed in the villages across the area under his jurisdiction.
He was adamant that the input of the reservists was invaluable in helping the police and, “Because they have a better understanding of the terrain and militant hideouts.”
