Tawakal residents in Garissa County now want the national government to localise security services.
They have said that involving local communities in regional surveillance systems would help boost security situation and bring lasting peace in the area.
According to a section of elders who spoke to this writer, the national police service should recruit and train local youth, with much emphasis being on enhancing police reservists in volatile areas.
"We want our youth to be trained on security issues and brought back to defend our community. They know the area and they can gather intelligence that will be used to tackle insecurity that is almost becoming part of our daily lives," noted Abdi Ahmed, a resident of Tawakal village.
The residents say that deployment of local security officers in the area will increase police intelligence available for crime detection and prevention as well as boosting long lasting trust between the police and community members.
The North Eastern region is among the most volatile regions in the country owing to its proximity to the war-torn country of Somalia, where Al-Shabaab terrorists easily sneak in and stage deadly attacks on residents.