IG Koome visits 'abandoned' special police unit in North Eastern

A day after Nation.Africa reported on the disillusionment of the Quick Response Unit (QRU) in North Eastern, Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome visited the team in Garissa.

Mr Koome flew to the Fafi QRU security camp on Sunday and held a meeting with the officers.

The officers had complained that they had overstayed their welcome in the terror-prone area for more than two years, where they had been deployed to counter the threat posed by insurgents in the region.

A special police unit was deployed to the region in April 2020 on the orders of former President Uhuru Kenyatta due to the ongoing terror attacks at the time.

The officers had claimed they were being neglected and faced an unknown fate.

A security source in the region told us that the IG specifically visited the QRU and promised to address their grievances.

"The IG expressed his sincere gratitude to the QRU officers for their patriotism, dedication and sacrifice in serving and protecting our country. He reiterated his commitment to ensure that fairness prevails in the operational, administrative and welfare matters of the NPS (National Police Service)," our source said.

The officers under the unit will soon get arrears of allowances dating back to April 2021.

The officers had complained of being poorly equipped, but the Mr Koome promised to ensure that they get better equipment in the next procurement.

During a security tour of Garissa earlier this month, Cabinet Secretary for Internal Affairs Kithure Kindiki announced a Sh20 billion budget for security.

According to the CS, the money will be spent on equipping security teams with technology and equipment, including vehicles and aircraft, as well as upgrading their skills.

Modern equipment

While in Fafi, our source said the IG revealed that the government was in the process of acquiring modern equipment for the NPS to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

Mr Koome was accompanied by his deputy Douglas Kanja, GSU Commander Eliud Lagat and Dr Resila Onyango, the NPS spokesperson.

The North Eastern regional police commander, Mr Moses Murithi, was also at the Fafi QRU camp.

The officers complained of reduced food rations, lack of fuel for their vehicles and poor maintenance of their vehicles.

The unit has become the latest victim of al-Shabaab terrorists’ recent attacks in the region.

On June 20, Quba QRU in Mandera was attacked, but the officers successfully repelled the assailants.

On June 7, seven officers from Alungu QRU camp were injured when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device as they travelled to Elwak town to refuel.

On June 2, three Elele QRU officers were killed and five others injured when their vehicle was bombed as they patrolled the Wargadud-Elele-Takaba road in Mandera.

Garissa and Wajir counties also recorded terrorist attacks on security officers this month.

Despite the officers' complaints of being forgotten in the jungle, the IG assured them that all their allowances would be paid and that they would be transferred if possible.

Ms Onyango had earlier admitted the existence of the QRU and its deployment, but was tight-lipped about their allowance woes.

"She assured us that all our grievances will be addressed and that she will keep us updated. We are hopeful that the NPS will keep the promise," an officer who attended the meeting with Fafi told the Nation on condition of anonymity.