Nandi: Residents of Nandi County have been urged to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies to help prevent terrorist attacks and radicalization. Nandi Central Deputy County Commissioner Elizabeth Atemi emphasized that the public serves as the first line of defense in the fight against terrorism and should adopt a ‘see something, say something’ approach.
According to Kenya News Agency, Atemi, while opening a workshop on the development of a County Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism in Kapsabet town, stated that security agencies could not effectively combat terrorism without active community participation. She encouraged residents to stay aware of their surroundings and use the Nyumba Kumi model to identify and report unusual activities without profiling or unnecessary interference with others’ lives.
Atemi highlighted that parked vehicles remaining in one place for unusually long periods, strangers inquiring about security arrangements, and individuals photographing security cameras should raise concern. She recalled an incident in Kakamega where public vigilance enabled security agencies to intervene when a suspicious individual was noticed photographing CCTV cameras at a shopping mall.
She further urged communities to report suspicious financial transactions, possible terrorist returnees from Somalia, and radical preaching. Atemi warned that terrorist groups, including Al-Shabaab, have evolved their methods, increasingly relying on local facilitation networks, technology, and covert online activities to evade detection. She noted that terrorists could target anyone, with soft targets such as markets, public transport, schools, churches, and shopping centers particularly vulnerable.
Atemi emphasized that counter-terrorism efforts should focus on prevention, early warning, and strengthening trust between communities and security agencies. She identified youth unemployment, substance abuse, and domestic conflicts as vulnerabilities that could expose young people to radicalization. The DCC welcomed government initiatives like the Nyota project aimed at improving youth livelihoods, which could help shield young people from extremist recruitment.
The workshop, convened by the National Counter Terrorism Centre, aimed to develop a locally owned County Action Plan to strengthen prevention, early warning, community resilience, and coordinated response to terrorism and violent extremism. Participants were challenged to develop an actionable counter-terrorism plan reflecting Nandi’s unique security and social environment.
