Lamu county commissioner Joseph Kanyiri yesterday said lack of development and unemployment have made it easy for al Shabaab returnees to hide. He also said youth radicalization is still a huge problem. Lack of trust and cooperation between residents and security agents is a major problem, Kanyiri said.
Speaking in his office, he said that in addition to Lamu, many extremists in hiding come from Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Kanyiri said the big problem is that Lamu is a transit point allowing extremists access to Somalia.
Major hiding places are in Kiwayu, Mabole and Minjila Witu towns. Kanyiri urged families of returnees to surrender them for rehabilitation and amnesty so they can be reintegrated.