A former lead bodyguard to President Uhuru Kenyatta has been appointed as the new North Eastern Regional Police Commander (RPC) as part of recent changes. Police headquarters announced that Papita Ranka will take over the role starting August 13, tasked with leading efforts against terrorism and smuggling in the region.
Ranka succeeds Bundi Muriithi, who has been recalled to police headquarters. As a Recce-trained officer with extensive experience in VIP protection, Ranka’s posting is viewed as an opportunity for his professional development.
The changes were announced by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Kenya Police Eliud Lagat, who also reassigned police commanders from Garissa and Mandera Counties. Mandera County police commander Samuel Mutunga and Garissa County police commander John Sichei were moved to new positions, with new commanders appointed to those counties.
Additionally, Kwale police chief Stephen Ngetich has been transferred to police headquarters, with Ali Nuno taking over his position. At the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Wilhem Kimutai, the head of the Land Fraud Unit, has been replaced by Juma Mashua from the Internal Affairs Unit.
Police authorities indicated that these changes aim to enhance operations, particularly in North Eastern, which has been experiencing a resurgence of attacks from al-Shabaab militants.
On August 9, gunmen shot and killed the driver of a Deputy County Commissioner in Mandera East before fleeing with his official vehicle, which has not yet been recovered. There has been a spate of incidents in the area as operations continue to combat this trend.
On July 24, five people were injured in an explosion at an eatery in Mandera town, and on July 11, an ambush by suspected al-Shabaab militants resulted in the deaths of five Special Operations Group (SOG) members, leaving six others injured near the Banisa/Derkale border in Mandera West.
Earlier, on April 5, six people were killed and five injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near the police station in Elwak town, Mandera County.
Another similar incident occurred on March 25, when four people were killed in an explosion at a hotel near a police station in Mandera town.
On Monday, August 5, a multi-agency team conducted several raids targeting al-Shabaab positions in Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa Counties. An intelligence-led operation was carried out at the borders of Mandera and Wajir counties, focusing on suspected al-Shabaab hideouts in the Iresqinto, Kutayu, and Boji areas.
Several items buried underground were retrieved, including AK-47 and PKM ammunition, medical supplies, drugs, and jerricans filled with water.
In Garissa County, a joint security team encountered about five suspected al-Shabaab militants in Adan Santur. The team responded to distress calls from locals whose camels were being forcibly confiscated by the terrorists.
Two camels were recovered and returned to their owners, who expressed immense gratitude to the security forces for their swift action. The militants, some of whom were injured, managed to escape across the border into Somalia in a bullet-riddled white Toyota Probox vehicle.
The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border, which is often breached by terror groups that attack the region and then retreat back into Somalia. More personnel have been deployed in the area in an effort to curb the attacks, and locals have consistently been urged to collaborate with security agencies, as such attacks typically occur with the knowledge of the community.
This situation comes amid heightened security concerns that the terror group may be planning an attack following a prolonged lull. The border region has experienced repeated attacks from militants, who are sometimes aided by local residents.
Since the fall of Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has struggled with instability, allowing terrorists to plant explosives along routes used by security agencies. Kenyan troops are currently in Somalia to combat and suppress the activities of the terror group, but the militants continue to cross into Kenya to carry out attacks.
