Transport

Lamu forms disaster team to tackle Indian Ocean crimes

lamu

A section Lamu Port. FILE PHOTO | NMG

A maritime disaster management team has been formed in Lamu to help deal with crimes at the Indian Ocean.

The team of seven officers has received professional training from Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), the maritime agency mandated to protect the country’s territorial waters.

The Lamu marine disaster team comprises six men and a woman who graduated last week after the training by KCGS.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony at a hotel in Mombasa, Lamu Governor Fahim Twaha said his county becomes the first one to coordinate with KCGS in receiving the high quality training from the long-serving officers of the navy-led agency.

Mr Twaha said for long Lamu has been susceptible to illegal fishing mainly due to the international boundaries it shares with Somalia.

“It has sometimes become difficult to control the ever-growing marine incidents of illegal fishing, terror activities, among other crimes,” said Mr Twaha.

He added that the collaboration with KCGS would further help the county tackle and prevent the crimes and enhance its capacity to carry out rescue operations when maritime accidents occur.

Incidents of boats capsizing at the Indian Ocean in Lamu have been on the rise with fishermen left to bear the brunt of the problem as the county has had no response team.

The cases have in many occasions resulted in disappearance of people in the sea.

Mr Twaha said that with the formation of the team, his administration is looking forward to address the challenges the fishermen and other residents have been facing.

“With the valuable and professional training impacted on our officers, I want to thank the instructors for their dedication and valuable time spent in imparting professional knowledge to our officers. We will endeavour to keep this unity with KCGS so that we save our coast,” he said.

On his part KCGS Director General Naisho Loonena said the operationalisation of Lamu county maritime disaster management unit would allow the development of collaborative mechanisms that can help in the day-to-day activities of tackling marine crimes.

The KCGS has been formed to deal with enforcement of maritime and security, safety and protection of maritime resources within Kenya territorial waters.

“We recognise that developing and implementing a comprehensive maritime strategy is not something that can be accomplished overnight and that is why we are happy for this collaboration,” said Brigadier Loonena in a speech that was read on his behalf by Col. (Rtd) George Shiundu.

Col. Shiundu added that the team is a young force that could assist Lamu solve the problem of disasters. “I believe you are equal to the task and you will put your utmost energy to save the situation. We expect that you will make us proud because we have had certain calamities in Lamu that should have been prevented,” he said.