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Al-Shabaab is offering a large bounty for the killing of Kenyan security officers, Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Maalim announced Wednesday (December 12th).

"The militants are awarding up to $8,000 for any security officers killed. The payment depends on the rank of the officer," Maalim said during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Garissa Primary School.

Security was tight during the celebrations marking Kenya's independence following reports that members of al-Shabaab were planning attacks. On Tuesday, security officers in Garissa arrested six people believed to be planning to cause mayhem during the festivities. Four suspects escaped the security operation and are still at large.

Maalim said the government learnt of the bounty through intercepting al-Shabaab communications from Dobley, Somalia, to the Ifo camps in Kenya's Dadaab refugee complex.

The Kenyan government has acquired state-of-the-art equipment to intercept the militants' high frequency radio communications used to plan their attacks, Maalim told Sabahi. He said the government would shut down some radio communications to North Eastern Province to prevent terror attacks.

"Some people have installed radio communications in their businesses, but we have to review the system because militants are using the same ones to plan attacks in Kenya," he said, adding that several owners of radio communications equipment are under investigation over suspected links to al-Shabaab.