President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday announced a moratorium on scrap metal trade in the country as part of Government efforts to end the rising cases of vandalism of key public installations.
The President said the moratorium will stay in place until after the Government puts in place adequate measures to effectively police the sourcing, trade and export of scrap metal.
He warned that those found culpable for vandalism of state infrastructure will be dealt with firmly.
While referring to the recent vandalism of electricity transmission infrastructure, the Standard Gauge Railway and communication masts, Uhuru termed the acts as economic sabotage saying the Government won't tolerate the destruction.
“The law is clear. These acts are nothing less than economic sabotage which falls under treasonable acts and the law is clear as to how we deal with treasonable acts," he said.
"We will not allow you to destroy that which is for the growth and development of our country to benefit a few individual pockets."
SAFEGUARD
At the same time, Uhuru reminded the police to execute their constitutional mandate of safeguarding the wellbeing of Kenyans and their property without "fear, favour or intimidation from any quarters”.
He spoke at the National Police College, Kiganjo in Nyeri County, where he presided over the passing out parade of 298 direct entry inspectorate cadet officers who graduated after a 9-month course.
The new police officers, 220 male and 78 female, form the largest cohort of direct entry inspectorate cadet officers to have been trained by the country since independence and were recruited as part of the ongoing security sector reforms.
He said 35,400 new officers had joined the National Police Service during his tenure saying, the rise in the numbers of security personnel was a retooling of the security sector so as to make Kenya a more secure and peaceful nation.
"This occasion is a highlight of the remarkable transformation we have continued to make in the tooling and retooling of our security organs, as we seek to solidify their capacity to make Kenya a secure and peaceful nation," he said.
“This noble agenda has been realized through an acceleration of security sector reforms, enhanced resourcing and modernizing of the National Police Service in an effort to make it well prepared and resourced in surmounting the dynamic existential and emerging security challenges".