Kenya mistaken police reservists for Al-Shabaab

NAIROBI, Kenya - Police in Kenya have been forced to release police reservists who were mistaken for Al-Shabaab terrorists after they were arrested with 19 magazines and 500 bullets, authorities said on Monday, while acknowledging the error from their side.

The four police reservists were arrested along the Kenya-Somalia border and police have now confirmed they have been helping security agencies in detecting and flushing out Al-Shabaab in Northern Frontier Districts, with a special target being those who usually cross over the border.

Officials aware of the developments said the four were arrested Sunday, April 30 after they traveled to Garissa without notifying the local security teams. The four were arrested in Nuno within Garissa County with police recovering balaclavas, a ballistic helmet, a knife, a machete, and several mobile phones from the four.

Officials said they want to know why they were moving to Garissa without informing the relevant authorities. There have been attempts to release them on bail to continue with their work but police insist they were aiding the movement of contraband goods.

“We have realized they are part of our team on the ground but we don’t understand why they came to Garissa. It is being handled,” said an insider aware of the issue.

Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera are prone to Al-Shabaab attacks but in recent weeks, the activities have been drastically reduced following operations by the Kenya Defense Forces, the police, and reservists who work tirelessly to block the militants from waging attacks in the region.

In Garissa for instance, Kenya set Modika Forward Operating Base to help in response against Al-Shabaab whenever they attack within the vicinity. The KDF is also across the border in Jubaland for a peacekeeping mission, serving in African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS].

GAROWE ONLINE