In what is a very ill advised move, President Mwai Kibaki arrived at the Coastal town of Mombasa by air late yesterday afternoon.
I say ill advised because as the nations' chief executive he should never be anywhere near a potentially risky security situation. Although Kenyans have mostly dismissed warnings from the Americans that the World Cross Country championships scheduled for tomorrow are a potential target for terrorists, that warning still hangs heavily in the air even as Mombasa administrators and officials running the event tried hard to create a carnival-like mood ahead of the event that is expected to take place tomorrow.
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Also published today;
The Return of Jim Orengo
Raila's sparkling new Hummer vehicle raises questions
New trends at the grassroots in Nairobi that should worry Kibaki handlers
Kumekucha's awards for your comments
Do what you enjoy and forget about cash
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What is really worrying is that security arrangements have been inconsistent at best and I would say a joke as far as this blogger is concerned. At the beginning of the week policemen stopped and searched most vehicles entering the island. Then for unexplained reasons, the exercise was abandoned. The issue here is not how wise or unwise such a search exercise was in the first place, but the message that starting and stopping such a security operation passes on to keen observers. It is the message that there is no consistency or clear strategy or plan as far as security arrangements are concerned. And that in this day and age is tantamount to suicide.
One of our representatives on the ground carefully observed President Kibaki's motorcade as it slowly snaked towards, State House Mombasa yesterday evening and concluded that President Moi's security was much tighter and much more organized. Curious to see what would happen, he even approached the passing motorcade with a huge paperbag in his hands (large enough to have carried all sorts of weapons). There were policemen nearby and they totally ignored him as the motorcade slowly passed very close to him with the windows open and president Kibaki waving to wananchi. He was shocked.
But even more worrying is the fact that the president will be in Mombasa through the threatened event. Either his security advisors should be fired or there is something very wrong somewhere. We all hope and pray that the event will go on without any mishaps, but the president should have stayed safely away.
There is another interesting sideshow that took place in Mombasa yesterday. Locals were heard commenting loudly that the president used to speed by in the last four years or so of his presidency, but now that the elections are around the corner is making a show of slowing down his motorcade to greet wananchi. As if to emphasize their point, when a local Mombasa politician passed by in the same motorcade, after the president had passed, a loud cheer emerged from the crowd that has mostly been silent as the president went by.
All sorts of interest groups and persons with their own agenda usually read this blog and do not miss a single opportunity to accuse this blogger of manufacturing news against their favoured candidate. However I assure you that what you are reading here is an honest report of exactly what happened in Mombasa yesterday.
The money is in what you enjoy most
Regular violent wife rape by a dutiful husband.
Chris, you certainly have no idea of security arrangements for both H.E. Mwai Kibaki & retired president H.E. Daniel Moi. You speak out of ignorance and hearsay. If you want to challenge my point of view you are welcomed aboard.
ReplyDeleteHi annonymous,
ReplyDeleteAm always ready to learn and am listening up.
-kumekucha-
By the way I consulted other security experts for the info that I have already produced here. Including the simple experiment that I carried out (carrying a large paperbag to within metres of the president's slow moving motorcade. But experts are wrong all the time. Eager to hear your point of view.
ReplyDeleteKumekucha.
We are talking about demistfying the presidency. U and company are rooting for someone who will be inaccessible. He is a dictator who will be sorrounded by 20 huge jaluo body guards.
ReplyDeleteKibaki is not under any security threat and if he is so are many other kenyans.
U dont manufacture stories,u just have wild dreams.
As they say, ignorance is no defense! Chris, Chris, Chris, please keep-off from writing on issues you have no clue about. Of late some of your articles are sounding more dim & plain ludicrous!
ReplyDeletePlease don’t let fame get into your head... I would advise you to stick to subjects you’re somewhat familiar with.
Chris, there is no need to either justify or aplogize for what you write lest readers start forming opinions. The truis that facts are sacred and opions are free remain true today as they were in the dinosaur age. So do your part, write and leave the reading and synthesis to us and thanks for the good work meanwhile.
ReplyDeleteAs for Kibaki, he finds himself a stribe the dark blue sea and the rock. We are hosting a world championship where he has to lead by example in demonstrating confidence in our security. On the other hand, the guy propensity to delegate even weighty obligations is legendary and unparralled. If he had his way Moody would set the Kenyan mood right at the coast. But the chap must also campaign and be visible. The some total, security can be comprimised provided political objectives are fully met.
Once a politician always one, the shade of brilliiance and charisma notwithstanding. Behind all their lofty talk and statements of plastic roadmap lurk shrewdness that will see one sell his mother for votes. Our politics is just not upto scratch. So dude, unless something drastic and revolutionary happens we are stuck with these colourless chaps.
Chris
ReplyDeleteYou are Very wrong about this. There is no confidence in the security system than when a national leader goes anywhere despite any percieved threat.
In 2000 George Bush was at the Twin Towers the next morning, Tony Blair was in London in 2005 minutes after London was bombed and Daniel Arap Moi was at the America Embassy hours after it was bombed.
Kibaki is right and right and right. He is the symbol of Kenya's nationhood, whether people like it or not. He is the picture of our soveriegnity. He is like the Queen of England, who shows to millions of her subjects, the true meaning of the flag, nationality and pride. Kibaki being in Mombasa is not ill-advised and never will it be. At all!
Kenya are the world champions for the last 22 years in-a-row and Kibaki being in Mombasa shows what the win means to Kenya.
You are ill-advised in you comments.
Hi Chris!
ReplyDeleteMy apologies for not responding to your reply. I was away. Anyway, If you have a look at the motorcade, you will realize that there almost three - five rings of security before you get to the car itself. The security personnel are not only trained in VIP protection, they are are also bomb experts having undergone extensive training in Israel. Their first responsibility is the Head of State, then any other person. (First Lady included) Well thats just but tit bits of the whole picture. If you want to test your theory, then it would be prudent for you to carry out your stunts. For your information, the team that did or does Moi's security is the same team that does Kibaki's. Either way as someone said, the President is a symbol of National Unity, by acting coward and boycotting the event would mean moral victory to the terrorist elements. The President is also in Mombasa to officiate the opening of the Kibarani KMC.
Phil says,
ReplyDeleteI dont think Chris has any apologies to make in this matter as he has raised very real points. If recent events in Somalia are anything to go by, then you must surely know that there are elements in that country who are NOT happy with Kenya's role in the ouster of the Islamic Courts leadership in Somalia. To make matters worse, it has been reported in some quarters that Kenya assisted the US with intelligence information that led to the bombing of villages in Somalia. That makes our country and leaders automatic terrorist targets. Egytian Presidents Hosni Mubarak escaped an assassination attempt a few years ago in Addis Ababa while attending an OAU meeting. That attack led to deterioration of relationship between the two countries although the attack itself was attributed to Muslim fundamentalists in Egypt!
It is a fact that nearly all recent major terrorist attacks around the world, suicide bombing is now the preferred weapon of choice for the terrorists.
A suicide bomber does not need to go past the 1st, 2nd or 3rd security ring so as to trigger the blast. They can do it from a proximity of tens of meters away from the actual target.
As for Kibaki's trip to Mombasa (we know he loves that town & its beaches having confessed himself!), he has skipped many other important state functions in the past and I wonder whether the KMC factory re-opening was worth the trip. For example, today is 24th March 2007, and it also happens to be World TB day. TB is a disease hitting AIDS patients the most and killing thousands of Kenyans each year. AIDS itself has been declared a national disaster in Kenya. The GoK has announced TB patients will be given free treatment henceforth.
If you were the President; which function would you preside over? And which function would you delegate to your ministers?
If I were the President I would definitely attend the Mombasa events (Cross Country and KMC) I mean, Cross country is going home for the first time ever surely there is no argument there. KMC collapsed 20 years ago, its reopening is another milestone in his administration. The Minister can deal with the TB functions. I believe the handlers of his diary have done a fantastic job, only that Cross country beats KMC to the headlines. oh I forgot Kibaki has never been a populist president.
ReplyDelete