Kenya Defense Forces special forces officers in operation at Mangai in Boni forest in Lamu County.
The National Police Reservists (NPR) working in Lamu’s terror-prone Boni Forest are a grieving lot as the State continues to ignore their welfare.
Nation.Africa has revealed that despite the reservists putting their lives on the line, endangering themselves daily while fighting al-Shabaab, the government has been inconsistent in paying their monthly stipend.
The NPRs are paid Sh10,000 monthly as a way of boosting their morale as they partake in the crucial duty of protecting the country, its citizens, and property.
Police reservists interviewed by the Nation from all the key Boni Forest villages complained of lengthy delays, especially in recent times when they go for over three months without receiving the cash.
The NPRs in Boni Forest and Lamu as a whole received their last Sh10,000 stipend in January. Three to four months down the line, no one has received a penny from the government they are serving.
NPRs in Boni Forest villages such as Mangai, Basuba, Mararani, Milimani, Kiangwe, Bodhei-Junction, Pandanguo, Jima, and surrounding areas play a big role in fighting the Al-Shabaab militants who regularly appear and disappear in these villages.
For instance, on Saturday, hundreds of Al-Shabaab militants tried to raid Basuba in Boni Forest but were repulsed by the police reservists manning the village. The attempted raid occurred around 10:45 pm.
Residents of Mangai village in Boni Forest, Lamu East sub-county on January 26, 2023.
The Al-Shabaab also attempted to sneak into the Basuba General Service Unit (GSU) camp but were repulsed by security agencies who were on high alert at the time.
NPR officers who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity for fear of intimidation by their seniors called on the government to ensure their welfare—including the monthly stipends—is addressed and paid on time.
“You can imagine the way we’re risking our lives daily just to protect citizens and property. Every time Al-Shabaab raids our villages, we’re the ones facing and fighting them first, even before the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), GSU, and other security units come in. We deserve a good life, including having those monthly stipends disbursed on time,” said one of the officers.
Another officer said the uniforms and even the guns they are using are old and ragged.
They called on the state to consider equipping them with advanced weapons, including AK-47s, rather than leaving them to use old G3 rifles, which are sometimes unreliable when fighting the enemy.
“We’re the ones on the ground fighting Al-Shabaab head-on. We’re poorly equipped. Where the enemy—Al-Shabaab—uses AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated, modern weapons like Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs), we, the Boni Forest reservists, are using these age-old G3 guns. We’re also provided with only two magazines, unlike the terrorists who always arm themselves with enough bullets. Something needs to be done urgently,” he said.
The NPRs also appealed to the government to consider increasing their numbers, as every village has an inadequate number of reservists.
It is worth noting that in almost all incidents where Al-Shabaab have raided Boni Forest villages, they always show up in large numbers, ranging from 50 to as many as 300.
For instance, during the March 15, 2025, Al-Shabaab raid on Mangai Village, there were more than 150 terrorists, according to police reports.
Heavily-armed militants
In the latest attack at Basuba on Saturday, more than 200 heavily-armed Al-Shabaab militants showed up.
In previous incidents in Basuba, Ishakani, Baure, and surrounding areas of Boni Forest, militants also appeared in the hundreds.
Despite all that, the Nation established that most of the concerned Boni Forest villages are still manned by fewer than 20 police reservists, with some even having fewer than 10.
In Basuba, where more than 200 heavily armed Al-Shabaab militants attempted to raid the village on Saturday night, only 14 police reservists are manning the area. They fought courageously and overpowered the militants, who fled into Boni Forest.
Tora Ware, an elder in Basuba, said that had it not been for the courage of the NPRs, Basuba Village would be in mourning this week.
“I urge the government to double or triple the number of NPRs here. You can imagine how intimidating it is being only 14 while your enemy is over 200. The government should take this matter seriously,” said Mr Ware.
At Milimani Village, only 10 reservists are manning the area; Mangai has 14, while Kiangwe also has fewer than 20 reservists.
Mararani Village has 9 NPRs, while Pandanguo has 19, and Jima has 14.
“We have a very limited number of NPRs in our villages. More need to be deployed. We even have some who retired, others who died or resigned, with a few having been demoted, yet no replacements have been made. We also push for the monthly stipends to be doubled for any NPR working in Boni Forest. This is where the real work is,” said Kirio Mardii, an elder in Mangai.
A local administrator in Boni Forest who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorized to speak to the press, said most of the NPRs are frustrated due to the neglect they face from the state.
The administrator said this has resulted in divisions among the reservists, with some not even speaking to their colleagues due to family disagreements or work-related issues.
“These people are supposed to work in unison to defeat the enemy. If they don’t share information, then the Al-Shabaab terrorists might take advantage of their disagreements to strike. I urge the government to even consider recruiting new NPR teams here. Some of the reservists are aged. They have served for so long—between 10 to 20 years—and are just tired,” said the administrator.
Kenya Defence Forces officers on patrol in Boni Forest, Lamu County. On Saturday, KDF soldiers, police reservists and General Service Unit officers repulsed suspected Shabaab militants who tried to ambush a GSU camp at Basuba in Lamu.
In response, Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech affirmed that previously, the focus on NPR deployment was more in Lamu West Sub-County villages, where insecurity and killings were recurrent.
Between January 2022 and December 2023, villages in Lamu West—including Juhudi, Salama, Widho, Marafa, Mashogoni, and surrounding areas—witnessed attacks and killings by suspected Al-Shabaab militants that left over 30 people dead and over 40 houses torched.
Mr Koech, however, said there is a plan to review NPR deployment now that Lamu East Sub-County is also witnessing attacks by the militants.
“Most of the NPRs were deployed in Lamu West villages in previous years since Lamu East had no threats. But we’re reviewing the situation, with more NPRs expected to be deployed—particularly to Boni Forest villages—soon,” said Mr Koech.
Touching on the issue of monthly stipend delays and the possibility of an increase, Mr Koech was quick to say that the National Police Service (NPS) is handling the matter.
In January 2023, when Deputy President Kindiki Kithure was serving as Interior Cabinet Secretary, he visited Lamu and ordered the immediate recruitment, training, arming, and deployment of 100 NPRs to all insecure villages in Lamu County, including Boni Forest.
In 2015, more than 60 NPRs in Lamu East quit their jobs and returned their guns, citing poor working conditions and lack of pay.
