Nairobi — Kenya is set to intensify the screening of refugees in a bid to support regional efforts to degrade Somali-based terror group Al-Shabaab.
The revamped vetting regime will apply to refugees who have entered the country in the last few months from the neighboring Somalia, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration said on Monday.
The vetting exercise is expected to compliment President Hassan Mohamud’s administration intensified onslaught on the Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist group.
The increased inflow of refugees has also been attributed to the biting drought that continues to ravage a number of Horn of Africa states.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the fight against Al-Shabaab in Somalia has resulted in about 100,000 asylum seekers in the country.
To prevent the infiltration of the terrorists groups into these refugee camps, Kindiki said the Kenyan government will vet each one of them beginning next month.
“We are going to start the screening and status determination procedures in the next one month in accordance with our national laws and the UN convention on the status of refugees of 1951,” he said.
Large refugee population
Kenya hosts a number of refugee camps including Dadaab and Kakuma; arguably one of the world’s largest camps.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates 24,000 people arrived at the at the Dadaab camp complex by December 2022 in under four months.
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CS Kindiki said that security agencies have stepped up border surveillance to prevent Somalia-based militant group from gaining access into the country.
He noted the government-led crackdown on Al-Shabaab terror cells in Somalia has significantly weakened the group.
The Interior CS stated that they have stepped up our border patrols to prevent the proliferation of illicit arms, illicit drugs.
“Our 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 its weakest,” he said.
Kindiki said that security agencies have improved on intelligence gathering to stay several steps ahead of the terrorists.
“We are always aware that terrorists only need one lucky break to hurt our Country and inflict us with pain. We must always strike first and fast to neutralize them and obliterate their nefarious networks,” he said.
He pointed out that security agencies have disrupted many terror plots at source.
Kindiki added some cases have been neutralized and dozens of suspects arrested. He noted that a huge cache of weapons and explosives have been intercepted.
