Kenya: Matiang’i Meets Chinese Trade Association Officials Over Security of Key Projects in Kenya

Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Tuesday hosted a delegation of the China-Kenya Trade Association to a meeting focusing on the security of critical ongoing projects in the country including the Lamu-Ijara-Garissa Road.

The meeting was attended by Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and his ICT and Innovation Counterpart Joe Mucheru.

Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai also graced the meeting.

“The Chinese ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian and senior government officials identified priority action points to ensure timely completion of the projects,” the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

The Lamu-Ijara-Garissa Road which covers both the North and Coastal region has been a subject of terror attacks from the suspected Al-Shabaab militants who have disrupted the ongoing construction project in the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) corridor.

In January this year, at least eight construction vehicles and equipment belonging to a Chinese Construction Company were set ablaze by suspected al-Shabab militants in Lamu

Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia said the trucks were part of a fleet of vehicles owned by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), involved in the construction of the access road for the LAPSSET corridor project.

The attack forced the Chinese firm to temporarily halt the construction for fear of their safety.

On January 7, four police officers were ambushed and killed following another attack in Lamu.