State agencies meet to discuss security roadmap

A multi-agency forum started in Nairobi on Thursday to discuss a national action plan meant to secure the country against potential security threats.

The focus of the talks, organizers say, is on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) risks, and how best-related crises that could harm the public, property and the environment can be managed.

Participants drawn from the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA), Government Chemist, Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), Interior, Foreign Affairs, the National Disaster Operations Centre among others, called for sustained efforts to improve Kenya’s preparedness.

Discussions during the two-day meeting will centre around capacity building among State agencies, risk mitigation, regional cooperation, policy and legal support, technology, and promotion of innovation and best practices in threat detection and response.

Government Chemist William Munywoki said the meeting will, among other things, seek consensus on a roadmap for 2025 and a security action plan for Kenya, bearing in mind past experiences on CBRN issues, including biosafety and biosecurity aspects.

“We have draft that we began working on in 2022. We hope to make decisions that will guide policy makers on coordination and cooperation in stemming CBRN risks. We also have a tool being developed to help in risk assessment,” Mr Munywoki said.

KNRA Director General James Keter, who opened the meeting, said that in Eastern and Central Africa, there had been concerted efforts to strengthen collaborations and interventions, including the establishment of the European Union-funded CBRN Centers of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to enhancing response capabilities among countries.

Mr Keter said: “Because CBRN risks are unpredictable and ever-evolving as technology advances, we must endeavor to increase knowledge and understanding among response agencies. It’s key that as we set our priorities right for 2025.”

At the same time, Mr Keter called on the forum to support efforts to combat false information and conspiracy theories, while ensure top-notch training for law enforcement and state security.

“CBRN disinformation can lead to confusion and mistrust and jeopardize public health response in cases of emergency,” he added.

The EU CBRN Centres of Excellence (CoE) are aimed at strengthening national and regional capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to risks related to CBRN threats. These threats, according to experts, may arise from accidents, criminal activities or terrorism.

The meeting, organized by the Government Chemist and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (Unicri), came as the world continues to grapple CBRN risks and associated challenges, with countries in Southern and Eastern Africa seeking to work together in confronting cross-border threats.

The talks continue amid efforts develop a toolkit that will harmonise CBRN approaches and responses at national, regional and global levels. Last week, Kenya hosted a meeting of secretariat heads of EU CBRN centres from 28 countries for deliberations on their 2025 roadmap.