All refugees ordered to relocate to Kakuma, Dadaab camps

By CYRUS OMBATI

Nairobi, Kenya: The government has ordered all refugees residing outside Kakuma and Dadaab to return the refugee camps immediately.

All refugee registration centres in urban in Nairobi, Mombasa, Malindi, Isiolo and Nakuru have also been closed.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said any refugee found flouting his directive will be arrested and prosecuted.

 “All Kenyans are requested to report to police any refugee or illegal immigrant found outside the designated camps,” said Lenku in a statement.

He said the move is part of the measures they are taking to address the increasing threat of terrorism in the country.

The minister said an additional 500 police officers have been deployed in Nairobi and Mombasa to enhance security and surveillance.

He said other security agencies will support the operations.

Lenku added that 109 suspects have so far been arrested following the attack on a church in Likoni, Mombasa and are being interrogated.

The move by the minister came amid reports some of the refugees could be behind the terror attacks being witnessed in the country.

On Sunday, three gunmen who were armed with an AK 47 rifle dropped a box that had 36 rounds of ammunition as they escaped after killing six people at the church and injured 18 others.

On Monday, four empty ammunition boxes were found at the Nakumatt Junction Mall’s basement.

The boxes were found abandoned on a trolley at the basement and seemed to have stayed there for long.

Police have not established the whereabouts of the bullets that were emptied from the boxes or their origin.