Writes Leo Odera Omolo
Security has been stepped up in Nairobi and its environs following threats issued by al-Shabaab militants who have vowed reprisals to protest a military offensive against them.
Members of the public have been urged to call emergency lines 999, 112, 020 272 41 54, 020 355 6771 or 020 355 67 80 in case they have anything suspicious to report.
Security agencies have been mobilized in the city and put on alert in case of a possible attack from the militants.
Major installations and places frequented by crowds have been mapped and accorded adequate security, officials said on Tuesday.
Nairobi Provincial Police boss Anthony Kibuchi said they have enhanced security in the city and intelligence mechanisms to secure the city.
He urged city residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious persons or objects to the nearest police station or police officer near them.
“It all starts with us and we must defeat these criminals threatening our peace. Let everyone be vigilant all the time,” he said.
Police and especially those from anti-terror unit plan a major operation in the city to arrest sympathisers of the militant group who are hiding in estates.
Al-Shabaab militants, through their spokesman Ali Mohamud Rage, announced on Monday that they intend to carry out revenge attacks to protest the military operation against them inside Somalia by Kenyan troops.
The Kenyan military forces have so far seized two towns, which were previously held by al-Shabaab militants, some 100 kilometres inside Somalia and they have vowed to get further inside.
On Tuesday, Military Operations Information Officer Emmanuel Chirchir said they were expected to seize the third al-Shabaab controlled base inside Somalia.
Maj Chirchir said military forces were driving into Afmadhow town, about 160 kilometres from the Kenyan border to fight off the militants.
Major Chirchir says dozens of al-Shabaab militants have been gathering around the town but no clash between them and Kenyan forces had been reported.
The Kenyan forces, heavily armed and using helicopter gunships and tanks initially concentrated their offensive on the Qoqani region, 100km from the Kenyan side.
Defence Minister Yusuf Haji vowed that the forces would not relent on their efforts to fight off the militants who have been blamed for a series of abductions since 2009, the latest of them being of four European women seized from Lamu and Dadaab refugee camp.