• The one-day meeting will be attended by clerics, security committee members, NGOs, and elected leaders.
• The meeting is expected to come up with resolutions to combat the prevailing insecurity.
Mandera Governor Ali Roba will Thursday convene a security meeting to address increased terror threats in the region.
This comes just days after his Garissa counterpart held a similar meeting.
At least 500 delegates are expected to attend the one-day meeting. They include clerics, security committee members, NGOs, and elected leaders. National Counter Terrorism Centre Director Ambassador Martin Kimani will be present.
Speaking to the press in Mandera town on Wednesday, Roba said the forum is expected to come up with resolutions to combat the prevailing insecurity.
The meeting will address, among other issues, boosting of the National Police Reservists, the collaboration between security agents and the public and how to motivate residents to share valuable information on security matters without feeling intimidated.
“Mandera has borne the brunt of terrorism, and we must all rise to find sustainable solutions to this challenge of radicalisation. We must not allow terrorism to undermine the great progress that is being made in the county,” Roba said.
“The barbarity of the attacks continues to impact our people and our future. The trauma from terrorism causes lasting damage to individuals, families and communities. It is for this reason that we must all stand up and come up with workable solutions that will see us address this al Shabaab menace once and for all.”
Recently, al Shabaab militants have intensified attacks in the region targeting non-local teachers, Safaricom masts and security agents.
Late last year, militants waylaid a Mandera-bound bus near Kotuo where they shot dead 11 non-locals, eight of them security officers.
On January 7, they shot dead four pupils at Saretho Boarding Primary School, Garissa county. Last week, they murdered three non-local teachers in Kamuthe, Garissa. In both attacks, they destroyed Safaricom masts.
Northeastern regional commissioner Nicodemus Ndalana, when commenting on Kamuthe attack, said al Shabaab will only be completely eradicated if residents cooperate with security agents to provide information if and when they spot the militants.
He said there was an element of conspiracy between residents and militants in the attacks.
Ndalana said it was not possible for the militants to come to Kamuthe, more than 100km away, without the residents knowledge.