Crime incidents reduced by 13.5 per cent in the past three months, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has said.

“Urban crime, especially the Nairobi muggings that had threatened to disrupt life and businesses in September/October, has now been contained,” he said

He also said they have disrupted many terror plots and crime reduced from 8,297 to 7,179 in absolute numbers.

While giving the state of security in the past 100 days, Kindiki said they have stepped up the fight against the threat of terror.

He was accompanied by immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok and his correctional counterpart Mary Muthoni when he talked at his office.

“We have disrupted many terror plots at source, neutralised and/or arrested dozens of suspected terrorists, and destroyed a huge cache of weapons and explosives that could have badly harmed our people if they were not intercepted,” he said.

“The current crackdown on al Shabaab terror cells in Somalia which is spearheaded by local community leaders with the support of the Federal Government of Somalia has tremendously weakened this militant group.” 

He said security agencies are alert to ensure that these militants do not cross into our territory to keep them at bay now that this terror group is at its weakest.

“We have stepped up our border patrols and upped our surveillance on the proliferation of illicit arms, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,” he said.

He said they have improved on intelligence gathering to stay several steps ahead of the enemy and are always aware that terrorists only need one lucky break to hurt the country and inflict pain.

“We must always strike first and fast to neutralise them and obliterate their nefarious networks,” Kindiki said.

The CS said officers in the elite specially trained formed units remain engaged to keep terror at bay, and their colleagues on general duties have helped to significantly reduce the general rate of crime in the country during the past three months.

He said nearly 6,000 new police officers who have joined the National Police Service in the last 100 days guarantees sustainability of the fight against crime. 

The CS said the new officers will be deployed to security hotspots across the country immediately to further buttress the security of our people and their property.