Agencies need to do better, says US

US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec. The United States said on Wednesday that it is assisting Kenya’s efforts to combat Al-Shabaab. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• In a separate briefing for reporters on Wednesday, the State Department’s spokeswoman Ms Marie Harf addressed the question of whether, following the Garissa massacre, the US believes Kenya was making the most of the security aid Washington provides.
• But spokespersons for both the Pentagon and State Department said on Wednesday that they were unaware of any such request from Kenya, in the aftermath of the Garissa University College attack.
• Ms Harf pointed out that Kenya’s security forces were resource-constrained

By KEVIN J. KELLEY
More by this Author

New York

The United States said on Wednesday that it is assisting Kenya’s efforts to combat Al-Shabaab.

But it stated that the Kenya’s security forces needed “to do better” in countering the difficult challenge.

“The US Embassy works closely with the Kenyan government to provide a wide range of security assistance to the many key Kenyan military and law enforcement units working to degrade Al-Shabaab’s operatives and ideology,” a State Department official told the Nation.

GARISSA MASSACRE

In a separate briefing for reporters on Wednesday, the State Department’s spokeswoman Ms Marie Harf addressed the question of whether, following the Garissa massacre, the US believes Kenya was making the most of the security aid Washington provides.

“I think it’s probably no surprise that the security forces need to do better. I think that’s just sort of a factual statement,” Ms Harf said.

She added: “It is clearly a very difficult challenge for Kenya to respond to the frequent and varied reports of threats it receives.”

Ms Harf pointed out that Kenya’s security forces were resource-constrained

Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said on Tuesday that Kenya is seeking additional help from the US and other countries in regard to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

But spokespersons for both the Pentagon and State Department said on Wednesday that they were unaware of any such request from Kenya, in the aftermath of the Garissa University College attack.

A US Defence Department official also noted on Wednesday that Washington provides substantial military aid to African Union troops, including Kenya’s, that are deployed inside Somalia.

A State Department official declined to respond to a question by the Nation as to whether US support for Kenya would include FBI involvement in investigating the Garissa massacre.

The FBI assisted Kenyan authorities in investigating Al-Shabaab’s attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi in September 2013.