NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 1 – The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a Counter-Improvised Explosive Device(C-IED) Centre in Embakasi Nairobi, in the wake of terror incidents in the country – the latest being the Riverside one where 21 people were killed.
The centre that will be a constituent college of the International Peace Support Training Centre, is expected to equip Kenya Defence Forces personnel with the knowledge and technology to robustly detect and safely disarm IEDs.
The Cabinet meeting discussed and approved an agreement where Germany has offered to donate 1.8 million Euros for the construction of the C-IED Centre.
The C-IED Centre, which will be a constituent college of the International Peace Support Training Centre, will equip the Kenya Defence Forces personnel with the knowledge and technology to robustly detect and safely disarm IEDs.
The C-IED Centre is deemed useful especially during the period that the KDF will remain in Somalia where IEDs are often used by the Al-Shabaab militia.
There has been increased cases of improvised explosives, with two incidents reported recently in downtown Nairobi.
Most of the incidents occur at the border with Somalia, where Al Shabaab terrorists often target security forces.