Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale now says that Kenya is a secure and stable country despite a few security challenges as a result of developments in neighbouring countries.
Speaking on KBC, the CS said some of the biggest challenges in the region as a result of this, include terrorism and extremist forces.
Duale noted that the increase of arms, the rise of criminal gangs, drugs and human trafficking are also part of the challenges Kenya faces.
He, however, stated that despite these, Kenya has been able to manage most of them.
"Kenya as a country is a very secure stable nation but we live in a very insecure neighbourhood. The biggest challenge in our region is terrorism and extremist forces.
"The al Shabaab to be specific and secondly the proliferation of small arms and large weapons, you'll find drug and human trafficking, the emergence of criminal gangs. These are the challenges we face but I can authoritatively say that outside the challenges we have with al Shabaab, the rest we are managing. In the last one year as a country we have managed al Shabaab," Duale said on Friday.
The Defence CS said that after the Westgate, Garissa University and Dusit terror attacks, Kenya made a deliberate decision to create special forces and formations in the National Intelligence Service, Kenya Defence Forces and other Internal security organs.
He said the special forces are well equipped to handle any such situation.
"They are up to the task in terms of training, equipment and weapons they use. I can say that we are up to the task to ensure we secure our country from terror."
He added that it is the moral responsibility of Kenya, as an anchor state to ensure there is peace and stability in the region.
"There are a number of regional challenges, Sudan is a case in point and many others around here and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As an anchor state we have a regional and moral duty to team up with other international and regional players to secure our region, within EAC, Igad and the Greatlakes region," Duale added.
