Kenyan officers trained on border security in the US
KNA
USA conduct training for Kenya’s security agencies on border managementThe United States of America has rolled out an intense security and communication training for Kenya’s security officials and information officers under the auspices of Security Governance Initiative (SGI).
The training, organised by the US Customs and Border Protection in Arizona and Washington DC , targets officers from 21 border counties that are susceptible to insecurity and is divided into three phases.
The first batch of County Commissioners, County Police Commanders and County Information Officers from seven counties spent last week in Tucson for the capacity building training.
The trainings are aimed at enhancing border management to prevent arrest terrorism, illegal immigration, drug trafficking and illegal imports. The training includes a workshop and visits to the US-Mexico border.
Mombasa, Busia, Kajiado, Migori, Taita Taveta and Marsabit counties were the first to benefit from the training running from July to September as a result of Kenya-US cooperation.
The intiative dates back to 2015 when Barack Obama administration when the US pledged to train and equip Kenya’s security agencies on intelligence gathering and to respond effectively to border threats.
And in May this year, Donald Trump's administration promised to support Kenya to fight terror, crime and sea piracy as part of the framework for the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue signed between the two countries.
“We stand to benefit significantly from these highly-advanced training,’’ said Kang’ethe Thuku, the Principal Administrative Secretary in the Interior ministry. He was the head of Kenya’s advance delegation in Tucson city.
US government official Jeff Zadareky said they will work closely with Kenya on security issues and other areas that are beneficial to the two nations.
