Security along the Kenya-Ethiopia border has been beefed up following the recent massacre of 10 Kenyans by Ethiopian militias.

More regular and administration police officers have been deployed and two police posts are to be put up in Uran Division, Moyale District, the scene of the killings,including eight policemen.

Despite this, two assistant ministers said the visit to Kenya by a high-powered Ethiopian delegation to discuss the cross-border incursions failed to guarantee that similar attacks will not recur.

Dr Guracha Galgalo (Health) and Mr Abdi Tari Sasura (Energy) said they regretted that the Ethiopian government didn't seem to take the issue seriously.

They said the delegation, composed of top military and foreign affairs officials, failed to detail out what their government is doing to stem the hostilities by its militiamen.

Dr Galgalo, who is also the Moyale MP, took issue with Ethiopia's Chief of the General Staff, Lt-Gen Gebre Tensay, who was reported to have dismissed the incidents as "minor and can be managed easily".

"The Ethiopian government must be informed that the loss of 10 lives is not a minor thing, particularly when many are security personnel," Dr Galgalo told the Nation by telephone.

"It is a serious blow to us psychologically, materially and in terms of personnel. We take great exception to his sentiments."

Dr Galgalo said the assertion by the delegation that Ethiopia's border police were not under a central government command were baseless.

"This does not matter and that is not our problem. All we want is peace!" he remarked.

He thanked the Kenyan Government, especially Eastern Provincial Commissioner Philomena Koech, who visited Uran immediately after the attack, for beefing up security.

He said that about 40 administrative policemen (AP) had been deployed to the Uran, Golole and Madoadhi posts, along the Ethiopian border.

The Moyale MP said work was already under way to build a police post at Lataka village and an AP post at Kiltipe, where the January 11 killings took place.

Mr Sasura said of Lt-Gen Tensay's view that "the deaths were largely due to clan differences and had been blown out of proportions" that it was shocking and unbelievable.

"The killings were purely a result of their aggression," said Mr Sasura, the Saku MP. "Their hands are tainted with Kenyan blood."

He noted that the government of Ethiopia had admitted liability to the Uran attack when it officially handed over weapons and a policeman-Dulacha Halake-who was abducted by the militia and held captive for several days.

He asked Ethiopia to come clean on its aspirations to "strengthen bilateral relations" with Kenya when it was involved in regular incursions into the country.

The region has recently suffered deaths of more that 160 civilians and policemen from such attacks.

Meanwhile, the two ministers urged Ethiopia to quickly compensate victims of its aggression.

Dr Galgalo noted that the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were discussing the compensation demands.

"I believe they are handling it well," he said.

Mr Sasura said only when the compensation was made of lives lost and property destroyed would he commitment of the Ethiopian government be taken seriously.

Last week, the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs yesterday urged the government to take up the matter with Ethiopian authorities.

"The Committee calls on the Kenya Government to pursue the issue of compensation of the victims of this incident," committee chairman David Musila said at Parliament Buildings.

However, Mr Musila said the committee is satisfied with the deterrent measures taken after a series of meetings with officials from both sides.

The committee, he said, held meetings with a Minister of State in charge of defence, Mr Julius Sunkuli, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Bonaya Godana and Permanent Secretary Dr Sally Kosgey on measures taken by the government following the incident.

The committee also met the Ethiopian delegation led by Lt-General Tensal. Others in the delegation were Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Tekeda Alenu and Ambassador Teshone Toga.