- Kindiki decried the rising cases of crime in the county saying the security teams must intervene swiftly to restore law and order.
- The CS said there were also other routes in between where criminals were perpetrating their crimes including the Thika–Garissa highway.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has asked security teams in Machakos County to up their game to tame insecurity.
Kindiki decried the rising cases of crime in the county saying the security teams must intervene swiftly to restore law and order.
“The crime is rampant, especially along the Kitui – Machakos highway. But, also other smaller routes in between like Tala – Machakos and some of these areas pose a threat to our national security,” Kindiki said.
He addressed the press in Machakos County on Monday.
“I have therefore directed our security agencies in this county to upgrade their surveillance and law enforcement equipment along the main highways including Kitui – Machakos, Mombasa – Nairobi and Athi River – Namanga,” Kindiki said.
Kindiki said there were also other routes in between where criminals were perpetrating their crimes including the Thika–Garissa highway.
“It’s of concern to us also that a national asset namely the Standard Gauge Railway built by the sweat and money of people of Kenya is being vandalized by criminals looking for scrap metal to sell to scrap metal dealers,” he said.
He put all the dealers on notice stating that those criminals destroying critical infrastructure such as the SGR to get a few coins would be dealt with according to the law.
“They must look for something else to do. I have gazetted the SGR and indeed the entire railway network together with other critical infrastructure like Thwake dam, Sumwa and Ndakaini dams, all major electric supply cables and poles,” Kindiki said.
Kindiki said all the named infrastructures including the oil pipeline are under the protection of the Protected Area Act.
“That any person therefore who is found without reason in or within the precincts of SGR and all other critical infrastructure mentioned including critical electric supply lines, critical water reservoirs serving large numbers of people with water, power and transportation will be dealt with in accordance with the Protected Area Act, Cap 204 of the Laws of Kenya,” Kindiki said.
He said the law empowers law enforcement officers to use force in removing people from those facilities.
“There is no room for discussions and it’s the same law that protects other highly sensitive installations like the Statehouse, it’s not a joke,” Kindiki said.