Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has explained why the government uses sniffer dogs to fight terrorism in Lamu County.
Speaking in Lamu on Thursday, Gachagua said the crimes in Lamu are complicated in nature, saying only sniffer dogs have the expertise to do the job.
The DP was speaking during the burial of Lamu Deputy Governor Raphael Wanyua.
He said security officers should be given a chance to do their work adding that each job has its own strategy.
"The crimes in Lamu are complicated. We are talking of terrorism and banditry, we are talking about explosives, those sniffer dogs you are complaining about are the ones with the expertise across the world to sniff and know," Gachagua said.
He added: "People don't have the nose to sniff and detect explosives, God has given that talent to the dogs."
He said the use of sniffer dogs is a universally accepted strategy adding that the same dogs are used as part of security preparations during presidential events.
He further noted that unlike human beings who can easily be bribed hence throwing the fight against terrorism into jeopardy, the dogs cannot be bribed.
"The good thing with dogs is that they can't be bribed. It is the only method so far in the world to detect explosives so that they are not a danger to society so you will have to bear with us," the DP said.
"Allow us for now, maybe in future there will be other strategies to detect explosives. If we send human beings there they will be bribed."
Gachagua was responding to a request by Nominated Senator Shakila Abdalla that the sniffer dogs being used at police roadblocks in the county be done away with.
The senator acknowledged that the security situation in Lamu County had improved but said using the dogs was not the best option.
"I am happy that I have seen the DP here. We are happy that the security situation has improved but we are asking for one thing; at roadblocks we have dogs, as Muslims it is wrong for your luggage to be sniffed by dogs," she said.
"Please remove them, we don’t want them at roadblocks. Remove the dogs and conduct the search in any other way but we don’t want dogs," she pleaded.
