Stakeholders hold high-level security meeting as insecurity worsens in Garissa

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOFriday June 5, 2026

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama chairing the high-level security meeting./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Garissa’s standing as one of Kenya’s safest towns is facing a serious test after a wave of killings, muggings and violent break-ins jolted leaders into urgent action. Governor Nathif Jama said the county can no longer ignore the escalating insecurity that has left many residents afraid to move about freely.

Shaken by the rise in crime, senior government officials, security agencies, religious leaders, elders, youth representatives and women’s groups gathered on Thursday to map out a response to the mounting threat.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of a sharp increase in criminal incidents over the past three months, with murders, stabbings, armed robberies and house and business break-ins becoming more common.

The most recent case involved Osman Aweis, an American citizen of Somali origin who had travelled from the United States to visit relatives. He was allegedly confronted by criminals demanding his phone and was then stabbed in the thigh. He later died from excessive bleeding after being discovered by the roadside.

Residents say violence has become so routine that barely a day goes by without a fresh report of crime. Traders, meanwhile, are bearing the economic strain, with many now closing their shops by 6pm to reduce the risk of attack.

Speaking to stakeholders, Governor Jama said leaders had a duty to act before the situation deteriorated further.

“This situation cannot continue. Garissa was known for peace and security across the country. It is regrettable that today families are living in fear,” he said.

The governor said those at the meeting had agreed that immediate steps were needed to restore order and stop the town from sliding back into deeper insecurity.

Jama blamed what he described as gaps in the national security system, saying many of the people behind the crimes are already known locally but continue to walk free.

He urged the national government to increase the number of officers in Garissa Township’s four wards and to operationalise the police stations that have already been built in Kunaso and Burburis.

The governor also called on parents to shoulder more responsibility for their children, saying some families knowingly protect youths involved in criminal activity.

Drug and substance abuse, he said, has become a major trigger of crime, and he said leaders together with religious institutions would begin awareness drives starting with Friday sermons in local mosques.

Jama also took issue with leaders accused of obstructing police work by pushing for the release of suspects, warning that such interference weakens the fight against crime.

Garissa Deputy County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring said the meeting had identified the main drivers of insecurity and settled on measures to boost community policing and reinforce parental responsibility.

Among the resolutions reached was a plan to set up a police station in every ward within Garissa Township and to create more administrative units to improve security coordination.

Stakeholders also agreed to step up crackdowns on unlicensed boda boda riders, tuk-tuk operators and other transport operators, while deepening cooperation between residents and law enforcement agencies.

Participants observed that most of those linked to criminal activity are between 11 and 29 years old, underscoring the need for stronger family and community intervention.

Leaders, elders, religious groups, women and youth representatives pledged to work alongside security agencies in what they described as a collective push to restore public trust and make Garissa safe once more.

“Insecurity is a common enemy that threatens development,” Okiring said. “We are committed to working together to ensure all communities live in peace and harmony.”