Ferdinand Omondi
Tuesday January 31, 2023
A Kenya police reservist delivers clean water to a child at the Lotikipi borehole, after a gridmap Turkana groundwater survey and mapping project. Photograph: Unesco
Kenya's government has launched a police unit to protect its water resources against vandalism and terrorism.
Kenya’s Interior Secretary Kithure Kindiki said that all critical water infrastructure would now be under the protection of the Critical Infrastructure Police Unit (CIPU).
Making the announcement, Prof Kindiki said that there had been attempts to access this infrastructure by criminals for economic reasons and "to attack our country’s security".
In recent years, Kenya has faced constant attack and threats of attack, especially from the al-Qaeda linked group al-Shabab, whose raids on schools, public places and public transport have killed hundreds of people.
Additionally, Kenya’s critical infrastructure, which includes water reservoirs like forests and dams, has been the subject of vandalism and illegal occupation by squatters, which the water ministry says has been costing the country millions of dollars annually.
Paul Rono, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, said that Kenya intended to build close to 100 huge dams and more than 1,000 smaller ones in the coming years.
"There is need to make sure that this infrastructure is protected against vandalism, destruction and damage," Mr Rono said.
Vandalism is not a new problem in Kenya. In 2020 former President Uhuru Kenyatta threatened to have vandals hanged for damaging the country’s $3bn (£2.4bn) standard gauge railway.
Vandals had been stealing guard rails for sale in the scrap-metal black market, which is estimated to be worth millions of dollars.
There have also been concerns about vandalism of Kenya’s electricity pylons and power lines