Kenya’s Boni forest declared as dangerous and disturbed

A military chopper takes a short rest at Mpeketoni School grounds in Lamu County in June after patrols around the vast Boni Forest. [PHOTO: MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD]

Lamu, Kenya: Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett has issued a Gazette Notice declaring the expansive Boni Forest in Kenya’s volatile coastal region as a “disturbed and dangerous area” paving way for a legal security operations to rid the area of Al Shabaab militants thought to be using it as a base for their bloody operations.

“The Inspector General of Police notifies the general public that all inhabitants of the area are prohibited to carry or possess any arms or ammunitions,” reads part of the Gazette Notice dated September 3, 2015.

Boni Forest has over the years been thought to have provided a safe haven for not only the terror group Al Shabaab but also local militia blamed for the spat of violent killings that rocked Tana River County towards the end of 2012.

More recently though, witnesses to some of the most brutal attacks in the region by the Somali-based Al Shabaab, have on numerous occasions indicated that the militants come from within the forest to attack nearby communities and centres such as Mpeketoni and surrounding villages such as Poromoko and Hindi, before retreating back into the thickly forested National Reserve.

Surrender arms

The notice also warns any inhabitants of the forest to surrender all arms in their possession, whether legal or not to the nearest police station, post or administrative office during daytime for ‘safe custody.’

According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, Boni National Reserve was initially gazetted to serve as a dry season sanctuary for elephants from Garissa and Lamu counties.

The expansive reserve cuts through three counties - Lamu, Garissa and Tana River, and also runs along the Kenya-Somalia border.

The reserve’s composition of mangrove swamp, lowland dry forest, marshy glades and groundwater forest ecosystems has provided perfect cover for terror cells operating within Kenya’s coast and eastern parts from where they launch attacks on civilians as well as military positions. A Kenya Defence Forces party stationed at the edge of the forest was ambushed by Al Shabaab militia on June 21 early in the morning. As a result, 11 militia were gunned down.

The notice will remain in force for the next 90 days but is subject to extension. Boni Forest is home to several indigenous communities, including the Boni and the Wasanye. It is also rich in wildlife, with sizeable herds of gazelles, waterbucks, kudus and zebras.

Presence of terror cells in the forest and persistent attacks led to the near collapse of the coastal tourism sector as foreign governments issued travel advisories for the safety of their citizens. However, improved vigilance and deployment of extra personnel have resulted in a drastic decline of such attacks.