NIS Campus in Garissa: Security Fortress or Community Flashpoint?

Touted as one of Africa’s most advanced intelligence facilities, it promises to bolster counterterrorism efforts in a region plagued by Al-Shabaab and other militant groups. Yet, for the pastoralist communities of this semi-arid frontier, the campus represents not security, but a profound threat to their way of life.
The decision to restrict access to the campus and surrounding areas, standard practice to shield sensitive intelligence operations, has sparked outrage over the government’s opaque approach.

Residents, primarily pastoralists, lament the loss of vital grazing lands and water catchment areas, accusing the state of bypassing constitutional mandates for public participation. “This is our ancestral land,” said a Masalani elder. “They took it without a word, without compensation, as if we don’t exist.”
Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has condemned the move as a constitutional breach, highlighting the absence of public consultations or compensation for displaced residents. Fafi MP Salah Yakub echoed this sentiment, branding the project a “land grab by the Executive”, executed without Environmental and Social Impact Assessments.

The project’s secrecy has fuelled speculation of foreign involvement, with whispers of collaboration between Kenya, the United States, and Israel under bilateral security pacts. Northern Kenya’s history of marginalisation and suspicion of Western influence, rooted in colonial injustices and post-independence neglect, amplifies these concerns. Critics fear the campus could become a hub for state-sanctioned oppression, masked as counterterrorism, citing the Rapid Response Team’s chequered record of extrajudicial killings and unlawful renditions. “We’re not against security,” said a Garissa community leader. “But why must our rights be sacrificed for it?”

Adding to the controversy is the project’s timing and location. The campus lies in the home region of NIS Director-General Noordin Haji, appointed by President Ruto in June 2023. Unverified claims of oil reserves in the region further stoke suspicions of ulterior commercial motives.

The NIS campus is pitched as a premier surveillance hub to counter East Africa’s terror threats, a pressing need in a region scarred by attacks like the 2019 DusitD2 assault. Yet the lack of transparency risks alienating the very communities it aims to protect. Northern Kenya’s residents, often stereotyped as terrorism sympathisers, reject such blanket stigmatisation, arguing it fuels extremism rather than curbing it. “We want security, but not at the cost of our dignity,” said a Masalani youth.

As construction accelerates, the government faces mounting pressure to engage local stakeholders and uphold constitutional values. The NIS campus could either fortify Kenya’s security or deepen the rift between the state and its marginalised north. Transparency, accountability, and respect for community rights must prevail to prevent this fortress from becoming a flashpoint of distrust.