We have enough equipment, NPS assures Kenyans
The National Police Service has assured Kenyans that the service has adequate armoured equipment with varying resistance abilities in the country’s operation areas.
The police Director of Communication Charles Owino has said that they have Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs) among other equipment for specific assignments.
“APCs can resist specific calibres of ammunition while MRAPs have the ability to resist mines and Rocket Propelled Grenades,” Owino said.
Owino said the September 10 attack in Wajir where some officers in an APC lost their lives involved the use of a Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) which the APC were not designed to resist.
“It is unfortunate that the officers were in an APC during the attack. We however have MRAPs which are capable of resisting attacks by mines or rocket propelled grenades,” he said.
Mr Owino was responding to concerns raised by some people on the suitability of the APCs following the attack on the officers.
“The attack does in any way mean that we do not have suitable equipment to protect our officers in such areas,” he said.
The service in 2016 acquired for the first time in history, APCs to increase their mobility and protective gear when deployed to volatile areas or the frontier areas of the country.
“We therefore can respond quickly and more effective to the current security challenges,” he said.
