A UK-funded Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) has been opened in Kenya, designed to provide a dedicated space to work on terrorism cases.
The facility is the first UK-funded HQ for anti-terrorism in the country. Kenya is said to be the UK’s premier security partner in East Africa, having supported the ATPU with various activities such as training on terrorist financing, witness interviews, IEDs, gender sensitivity and the Training of Trainers programme, in recent years.
Image credit: Gov.uk
The police station, located in Mombasa, will allow direct access to the ATPU for the public, designed to create more awareness about the work being carried out to strengthen the local community relationship.
The station features a secure detention facility with separate cells and private ablution amenities for men, women and children, said to ensure international human rights compliance.
For those working in the ATPU, there are dedicated spaces for investigations, evidence analysis and forensics, as well as a multi-agency room to invite and collaborate with other national security bodies and international partners. A training room is also available, and the UK will continue to provide specialist skills training support to the team.
The British High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott, said: “Kenya is the UK’s premier security partner in East Africa. A primary focus of this partnership is to strengthen counter-terrorist capacity within the criminal justice system, in line with international human rights standards. The UK works with stakeholders across the criminal justice pathway, including investigators, detention supervisors, prosecutors and judiciary, all of whom are key to preventing and disrupting terrorist activity.
“Terrorism is one of the biggest threats facing our countries. To counter this threat, I am delighted to support Kenya with approximately KES 1bn [£7m] a year.”
Cabinet Secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Interior, Dr Fred Matiang’I, said: “As a Government, we applaud the UK-Kenya Security Compact agreed in 2018 and the incorporation of the UK Kenya Strategic Partnership 2020 – 2025, through which the British High Commission has worked with the Government of Kenya to establish this modern, purpose-built police station with detention facilities for ATPU Coast in Mombasa.
“With the assistance of our partners, we have steadily grown our capabilities to confront terrorism and other transnational crimes. We are immensely grateful to the people of the United Kingdom, through the British High Commission (Nairobi), for our continued warm and cordial working relationship and particularly on Counter Terrorism.
“The building has state of the art rooms including, storage areas, a conference room, an IT room, a server area, armoury, CCTV room, and nine holding cells for male, female, and juvenile all fitted with fixed beds, modern toilets and adequate ventilation.”
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