A a 30-day dusk-to-dawn curfew has been declared in parts of Lamu County as security forces kicked off a major operation following the killings of 7 people.
According to the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, the curfew, which went into effect on Wednesday, follows the recent rise in the region where seven people have been killed and two others abducted in the past two days.
The ministry said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi that “Incidences of criminal attacks that have led to the loss of seven innocent lives have been reported in Widho Sub-location, Majembeni Location of Lamu County and Lamu Central Subcounty.”
The statement follows a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) which deliberated on attacks in parts of Lamu County.
The Council which met under the chairmanship of President Uhuru Kenyatta Wednesday later issued a number of orders to be implemented as part of modalities to address new security threats in the area.
Among them was the declaration of the four divisions in the county as a disturbed area.
“The attacks have also occasioned the destruction of private property and unsettled residents in the affected and surrounding areas,” the ministry said.
The NSC also directed the immediate deployment of a multi-agency security team to mop-up illegal firearms and activities in the affected areas.
“Residents in the Disturbed Areas are requested to cooperate with the security agencies and to share information on suspicious persons and activities,” the ministry said.
The move follows two separate attacks in the area that left seven people dead and several houses torched.
Kenya recently upgraded into a full military base, the Manda Bay station in Lamu County, to serve as a co-ordination centre to secure maritime and land territories.