Former Garissa Governor Ali Bunow Korane/HANDOUT
Former Garissa Governor Ali Bunow Korane has urged authorities to replace intermittent security crackdowns with a permanent, intelligence-led strategy as insecurity continues to rise in Garissa Town and surrounding areas.
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Korane said residents had reported a worsening pattern of robberies, stabbings, break-ins and theft over the past two years. However, he maintained that Garissa’s relatively small size and close-knit, rural character should make it possible for security agencies to contain the problem through dependable local intelligence.
“The situation is not good. Garissa is a small town and a rural community, not sophisticated. It is not very difficult to manage security in Garissa,” Korane said.
He said residents frequently know the identities of suspected criminals and the places they retreat to after offences, making it possible for agencies to act more effectively. “People know who has committed crime and that should not be so hard for agencies to deal with. I do not know why over the last two years it is getting worse,” he said.
Korane outlined four measures, led by the creation of a permanent intelligence-based security system to replace short-term and reactive operations.
He said authorities should identify and map crime hotspots, then assign officers and other resources according to evidence instead of waiting for incidents to happen.
He also proposed a formal community early-warning structure linking chiefs, elders, religious leaders, business owners, boda boda associations, women and youth representatives. The system, he said, would help security agencies receive information before crimes are committed.
Korane said prevention must complement enforcement, especially when dealing with young people who may be at risk of turning to crime.
“A young person who is already carrying a knife and robbing residents requires law enforcement, but the next generation at risk needs intervention before it reaches that point,” Korane said.
He said security agencies should work alongside social programmes to stop criminal activity from becoming deeply rooted in communities.
Korane further called for a clear separation between routine urban crime and the Al-Shabaab threat affecting parts of Garissa County and locations near the Somalia border.
Phone and watch theft, house and business break-ins and other petty offences in Garissa Town, he said, should not automatically be classified as terrorism-related incidents.
He said counter-terrorism operations require specialised intelligence, stronger border security, coordination among agencies and measures to prevent radicalisation. Urban crime, by contrast, calls for effective policing, investigations, prosecution and social interventions.
The former governor also attributed part of the increase in crime to drug and substance abuse, saying some people struggling with addiction turn to theft and robbery to fund their habits.
He urged religious leaders to take a more active role in prevention, saying their influence could help steer young people and wider communities away from criminal activity.
Korane acknowledged that security is not directly within a governor’s mandate but said an elected administration could cooperate closely with national security agencies to address the challenge. “It is something we can do very easily,” he said.
He welcomed earlier government operations against gangs, saying the actions showed that targeted enforcement could restore order. He cautioned, however, that the progress would fade without measures that continued beyond the immediate crackdowns.
His proposals include permanent neighbourhood intelligence networks, increased patrols in identified hotspots, stronger investigations and prosecution, as well as programmes aimed at vulnerable young people.
The proposals follow a series of security meetings held by stakeholders in June amid mounting concern about crime in Garissa. Waberi West was identified as one of the areas affected by murders, stabbings, armed robberies and break-ins at homes and businesses.
Garissa Deputy Subcounty Administration Police Commander Hassan Adan has called on residents and security agencies to confront the problem together.
“Crime cannot be fought and defeated by the police or security agencies alone. It requires collective responsibility,” he said.
