#LAMU : "Zero Al-Shabab in Lamu, No Militants remaining and the Somali border wall to be constructed." says Joseph Kanyiri.

Militants training in Somali. PHOTO | AFP

Lamu county operation Linda Boni is successful and people are doing business without any problem. The operation was successfully implemented and none was harassed as people said. The operation was meant to root our Alshabaab in the forest.

Zero Alshabaab in the county and people must thank the security forces for the recommendable job they did.  There are no Alshabaab left in the forest and very soon people will be back to their normal duties.


Director Joseph Kanyiri yesterday said the crackdown which includes airstrikes and cordons to trap militants will continue until all fighters in the forest and other areas of concerned are vanquished.

"The Militants present in Lamu is almost at zero level. I'm confident of that, no militant remaining," he said.

"We are grateful to wananchi for their cooperation. They played a great role in giving tips and information," he added.

Operation Linda Boni has launched two years ago in September 2015, but recently it has had to step up operations and bomb militants hideouts in the forest.

Kanyiri said the operation has destabilized and de-operationalised the elite Jaysh al-Ayman fighters.

The group has operated from the forest since 2012, retaliating against the deployment of Kenyan troops to Somalia.

Kanyiri said forces have reduced the al Shabaab presence and attacks in Lamu will end or are minimum, compared to the situation before 2015, when the region was swarmed with terrorists.


The security agencies include the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, and anti-terror police unit officers.

Considerable numbers have been eliminated from the forest and many have also fled back to Somalia, Kanyiri said.

"Since the operation began, we haven't had any large-scale attack like the one in Mpeketoni in June 2014 [about 60 people were killed]. Each day, we try to improve the situation," he stated.


His officers undertake aggressive patrols daily, on land, sea, and air, making terror attacks impossible, he said.

"The only challenge is that al Shabaab's are people who infiltrate the county once in a while, commit a crime, then go back to Somalia due to the proximity of Lamu and Somalia," he said.

"But we are working on sealing their routes. Their plans will soon be a mere dream,"Kanyiri roared.

Al-Shabaab will be a thing of the past as the government is still planning to build a wall from Moyale to Lamu where it will very difficult for the militants to cross unless using air means of transport. The Government will eradicate the vice of the militants in Lamu and its environs which include; Tana River county, Kilifi county, and Garissa county.