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Kenya and US partner to fight cybercrime
Major General Jamelle Shawley, Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, takes a selfie with delegates attending a dialogue on the US-Kenya security partnership at the University of Nairobi on February 14, 2024.
The United States government has pledged support for Kenya to help it tackle security challenges such as the rise in cybercrime and misinformation on social media.
According to the Commanding Officer of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Major General Jami Shawley, the US government through the force is opening up training for security personnel on identifying and tackling cybercrimes in the country.
We have had a series of training with our Kenyan counterparts in a bid to help tackle the rise of cyber warfare and misinformation. As a force in the country, all we need is a comprehensive approach to tackle the grievances of the people by providing them with education and economic empowerment so that they are not swayed away by terrorism and extremists,” Ms Shawley said.
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Commander Major General Jamelle Shawley (left) with National Defence College Chief of Staff Air Force Major General Fatuma Ahmed during a dialogue on the US-Kenya security partnership at the University of Nairobi on February 14, 2024.
She was speaking at the University of Nairobi on Wednesday during a dialogue session on the US-Kenya security partnership.
During the session, Major General Fatuma Ahamed, the first Kenyan woman to attain the rank of a Major General hailed Kenya’s military relationship with the US government and said the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is committed in the fight against counter-terrorism and misinformation.
“As a military we are coming up with new strategies to cope up with the use of artificial intelligence and social media platforms to pose security threats to the country. This can be achieved through training and equipping of our security personnel,” she said.
Ms Shawley also said the commanding unit is focused on maintaining stability and peace in the African continent and is currently involved in a number of peace initiatives in war-torn countries such as Somalia.
“We want to see a prosperous Somalia nation where the people are able to make their choices and determine their future. That is why we are passionate about restoring peace in the country,” she added.
The Combined Joint task force is responsible for building nation capacity to tackle acts of terrorism in the horn of Africa.
