Kenyan leader warns violence perpetrators

with firmly in accordance with the law.  
Kibaki, who expressed concern over the senseless loss of lives and property following clashes between some communities in parts of the country, said this will not be tolerated.
“I put on notice those taking the law into their hands that they will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law,” President Kibaki said and directed security organs to take firm action and curb further loses of lives and property.
The president’s remarks came as the authorities in the east African nation begun investigations into the Wednesday’s tribal clashes in southeast part of the country that has so far claimed 50 lives.
Tension and rivalry that results into the Wednesday’s violent clashes between Pokomo and Orma communities have been ongoing for decades and this also resulted in last week’s dispute that left at least two people dead.
While Pokomo accuse the Orma of allowing livestock to encroach on their farms and of destroying their crops, the Orma people complain Pokomo farmlands are too close to the banks of the Tana River and prevent the herders from using the river to water their cattle.
Kibaki, who was speaking in Nyeri in central Kenya when he presided over the passing-out parade of 1,581 police recruits, emphasised the role of the Kenya Police Service before, during and after the elections is clear cut.
He said the government is determined to ensure the general election is free, fair and peaceful.
He said the entire service is expected to remain professional, alert and focused on the best interest of the nation.
“You must safeguard peace across the country without fear or favour,” he told the new recruits.
Kibaki reiterated the nation is bigger than any single individual and that its peace and stability must be guarded against any enemy both from within and without.
He assured Kenyans that the country’s security agencies are working hard to curtail and prevent any acts of insecurity and terrorism.
“The security of all Kenyans and our visitors is an important priority for the government.”
Kenyan authorities have enhanced security in major cities and all entry points and have also called on residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious individuals in their midst to security personnel.
There has been a string of attacks by Al-Shabaab militants and their sympathisers since Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October 2011 to subdue the insurgents who were blamed for a series of murders and kidnappings on the Kenyan soil with Daadab district which hosts the refugee camps being one of the worst hit by the attacks.
The militant group has recently come under pressure from African Union peacekeepers, who pushed them out of the Somali capital Mogadishu as they prepare to launch a major onslaught on the strategic port city of Kismayo.
President Kibaki said the recently established Independent Police Oversight Authority is a partner of the Kenya Police Service in the creation of a more accountable policing culture in the country.
The basis of police reforms is to find ways to improve their welfare, including salary, insurance and housing, as well as reigning on their impunity to commit crimes by introducing a civilian oversight authority.
He pointed out the authority will not only handle complaints against the police but also complaints by the police, saying aggrieved police officers now have a legally constituted body to turn to and have their complaints addressed without the fear of victimisation.
Underscoring the importance of security as a key component of the country’s development agenda, the president observed no meaningful development can be achieved without an effective security system. — Xinhua.