Border management strategies used to curb insecurity in liboi border post of Kenya from 2007- 2015.

ABSTRACT

The study sought to examine the strategies of patrolling and surveillance as used by the border management to curb insecurity, at Liboi border post of Kenya. The period under study is from 2007 - 2015. The purpose of the study was to establish how the strategies of surveillance and patrols have been applied by the border management to curb insecurity along the border. The main objective was to study how these strategies have been used for security purposes at the border. The study had the following research questions: a) To establish how surveillance has been used to curb insecurity along the border b) How patrols are conducted in order to curb insecurity along border. To find out if there is any cooperation among the security agents, when conducting these patrols and surveillance along the border. The study used cross-sectional research design because the respondents had differences in many aspects but lived in the same environment. Deterrent theory was used in this study because it helps in formulating ways of stopping people from crime and offending. Though Bureaucratic theory of Max Weber was used in the study, it was only a guide on how to establish a successful border authority. The target population includes all security personnel working at the Liboi border post and the police working under the officer commanding police division at Dadaab refugee camp. Basically this was an historical research and depends on past events and experiences of the respondents in order to draw finding and conclusions. The procedure adopted was as follows. First was the identification of the site of the study as Liboi border post of Kenya. The target population was selected from members of the security organs in Liboi and the community living there in. The instruments data collection for the study included questionnaires and focused group interviews. Quantitative data analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Qualitative data was analyzed by organizing the data into categories of similar responses for ease of making inferences. The results of the primary data collected were compared with secondary data. The results were arranged according to the objectives of the study and analysed. The study found that surveillance was practiced at the Liboi border post but it is hampared by the terrain and serviceability of the equipments. Patrols were found to be used at the border the frequency was not adequate. The study found that there were obsolete stores held by the scurity agencies at Liboi. The study concluded that there was need to make the roads at the border passable and where impossible aerial vehicles to be used. That the patrols should overlap those going out and those coming back. The study concludes that those obsolete stores held to be returned and new ones bought. The study recommends the use of unimanned aerial vehicles to augument surveillance and patrols to be conducted jointly by the security agents at Liboi. Areas covered by the surveillance equipments to be depicted in topologhical maps held in the offices of different agencies. This study provides information to policy makers on the current state of the surveillance equipment held by the security agencies at the Liboi border post. It is important to understand the capability of the available equipment on information gathering. The study benefits will be realized once the frequency of patrols is increased and new surveillance equipment bought.