Kenya will send more police officers to Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)'s peace keeping efforts in the Horn of Africa nation.
Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai detailed that the officers will serve under Amisom to ensure peace and stability in Somalia.
The police boss reiterated that Somalia has long been plagued by unrest, noting that it deserves support from Kenya.
Individual Police Officers (IPOs), serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), at a past briefing. |Photo| Courtesy|
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Mutyambai who met the African Union Police Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) in Nairobi, stated that the deployment of officers in Somalia has exposed them to a widened scope in terms of policing which will improve their service delivery in future.
“The inspector general assured them of his cooperation and support in achieving the African Union mandate, “ a statement from Mutyambai's office read in part.
SAAT has been in Kenya for the last couple of weeks conducting assessments on officers for the Somalia mission.
They thanked Mutyambai for the continued support, and Kenya's major involvement in AU's mission of restoring the Somalia Police Force.
Kenya has close to 3500 troops in the Horn of Africa who are part of Amisom, and though their service in Somalia expires this year, they may stay longer due to an agreement drafted by AU.
KDF boss General Robert Kibochi stated that Amisom's current constitution has it as a force, arguing that wars cannot be won by force alone.
He stated that the country needs police who will undertake civilian duties along with members of the public that army men cannot do.
Kibochi noted that the withdrawal of funding from the European Union has forced the reconfiguration of operations by security forces in Somalia.
He added that Amisom is looking to secure funding from the UN to ensure the peacekeeping operations continue effectively.
