Police Preparedness for Counter-Terrorism in Kenya, 1995-2005

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the magnitude of threats posed by terrorism relative to traditional security problems, structure and inclination of Kenya security apparatus prior to the rise in the threat of terrorism and adjustments that are underway on the organization and structure in response to the advent of terrorism. The hypothesis of this study was that the advent of security threats from international terrorism has rendered the pre-existing national security structures and assumptions inadequate. The inclination, organization, training, equipping and deployment of security agencies were geared towards addressing the tradition security concerns of the country. The advent of the threats of international terrorism has necessitated the reorganization of the security apparatus in terms of structures, training, equipping, and deployment to counter the phenomenon. The Administration Police Force and the Kenya Police Force have taken measures to combat threats emanating from international terrorism. New specialized units have been formed while existing ones have been sensitized to effectively fight the war on terror. While no country can claim to be perfectly prepared to counter terrorist attacks as exemplified by the September 11 bombing of key economic and security landmarks in the United States, Kenya must take measures to prepare her security agencies and the population at large to the reality of the phenomenon.