{The ambitious project to enhance security surveillance in the country is in top gear with police cameras already monitoring parts of Nairobi on a 24 hour basis, Chimp Corps report.}
The move follows a string of terrorist attacks along the coastal area and even Nairobi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Thursday morning visited the command and control centre of the new surveillance system based at Jogoo House.
he President was able to monitor activities going on in Nyamakima and Accra roads through live feeds from cameras installed at strategic locations.
The live pictures relayed to the police command center are powerful enough that President Kenyatta was able to clearly read a newspaper being held by a man on Accra Road from the comfort of a seat inside Jogoo House.
The project, which is being implemented by Safaricom together with the police, includes the installation of hi-tech cameras in the streets of Nairobi and Mombasa before the project rolls out to other parts of the country.
It also includes the provision of modern radios that can take pictures and relay videos back to the command centre.
Last year Al Shabaab terrorists struck at the heart of Nairobi, killing hundreds in heavy shootings at an exclusive mall.
The police will also install cameras on top of buildings and landlords will share live feeds from CCTs with security agents.
20 radio base stations using 4G technology have already been completed in Nairobi’s to cover Huruma, Mathare, Eastleigh and Dandora areas.
The first phase of the project, which will use 1,800 cameras, will cover the Nairobi metropolitan area. Some areas that are of interest to security agents will have fixed cameras that do not pan left or right.
Police officers on patrol can also relay videos to the command centre using their radio. At least 10,000 to 12,000 officers will be trained to use the new system.
Already 32 have been trained to use the system while 180 senior officers from all over the country have undergone an awareness programme
Safaricom, which is implementing the project will not have access to the live feeds once the system is handed over but will only be able to monitor if the network is working and stable.
President Kenyatta encouraged the officers implementing the project to keep up the work.
“We will come back on May 25 to launch this project,” said the President.
Chimpreports
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