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The campaign for the sacking or resignation of Michuki and Ali must start in earnest (we will deal with the corrupt 850K politicians later). I agree with Phil that this is an emergency. Today I will delete any idiotic comment here to the effect that I am saying all this because I allegedly support Raila. GROW UP!!
I have my own ideas about how this campaign should be launched and waged but I would like to hear from you guys first.
Resignations (or sacking) are the only thing that will cause Kenyans to wake up to what is happening. The killings MUST STOP!!
Anybody who honestly thinks that we have a police commissioner in office and a minister whose portfolio is internal security must be a day dreamer. I don't see them. Period. Obviously whatever they may have done does not work and the honorable thing to do is to make way for others who will come in with fresh ideas.
The Police commissioner and the Minister in charge of internal security MUST RESIGN or be shown the door. Anybody who thinks that the violence will be forever contained in Mathare and Kibera should think again.
Father and son seduced by the same woman called "death."
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Thanks Chris. I believe that the fight against insecurity and violence should target three of four institutions. Parliament creates the laws that govern the country. Various institutions are charged with enforcing the law, ie. the police, the judiciary, the AGs office and of course the public in general.
ReplyDeleteThe police complains that the public has been shielding criminals from persecution . In actual sense, the public has been variously accused of conspiring with criminals. That is serious because it shows the public does not have faith in police. The public knows exactly who mungiki and armed robbers are in their midst and yet they will not come out and openly report to the authorities. Is it partly because they fear for their own safety or partly because they gain from the criminal activities of the persons they shield from the law? But then again, you will find in most cases the general public is very casual with security matters because they have never really fallen victim or a close acquaintance has never been affected either. Indeed, the police say that even when they make arrests of well known criminals, they are forced to drop cases because no witness from the public is willing to testify against these criminals in court.
As a starting point I would propose that the AG draft some sort of legislation that can be passsed in parliament to:
a) Use the Office of the Communications Secretary to educate the public on matters of community policing as well as improved public awareness on importance of vigilance in the communities we live.
b) The same law should seek to put in place an elaborate witness reward and protection scheme so that the public can know that they will not only be awarded when they identify criminals who are successfully prosecuted but also they will receive adequate state protection, or be relocated with a new identity and source of income for them and their immediate families. The role of police informers must also be examined afresh and be officially recognised. Just as police have informers mingling with the public, the criminals similarly also have informers / financiers within the security and government organs.
c) That the Police Act in dire need of a comprehensive update to encompass the realities of today's sophisticated criminal underworld is not in question. What we inherited from the colonial government is now completely out of date and miserably inadequate. The new law should overhaul methods of police recruitment and training. I consider the current minimum education and six - nine months training at Kiganjo a big joke. Even the military, who get more funding lazying in the barracks and drinking half-price AFCO beer, has changed its recruitment and training methods, why not the police?
d) With police efficiency improved, then the AGs chamber as well as the Judiciary should be similarly overhauled to measure-up. In terms of pre-election violence,
Our constitutional reforms need to address the above. In addition, the Electoral Commission of Kenya needs to be given official powers to prosecute and severely punish politicians who make utterances that incite the public. It is well known that prominent politicians are paid up members of mungiki, taliban and others, yet the police are absolutely helpless in apprehending the culprits, be they mere MPs or cabinet ministers. Dont you think something is wrong with our laws or is it only a negative development of the national culture?
In Kibera, it is quite common to hear; 'Chuma iko, tafuta kazi' which means a gun is available, just look for work. Petty muggers dont use ngeta anymore, instead you surrender your mobile phone with apistol pointing at you. Fully loaded buses along Ngong Road are hijacked by gangsters masquerading as passengers every other week. Matatus hardly get hijacked because matatu crews know these criminals and as soon as they board one at Railways terminal, the driver pretends to a mechanical failure and all passsengers are asked to disembark! If you have the misfortune of being in a hijacked bus, prepare yourself of being relieved of your money and cellphone as well as in some cases forced group unprotected sex (rape)! And the criminals have recruited young beautiful ladies in their ranks, but watch out bro', the ladies are ruthless and trigger happy.
Having said all that, I am looking forward to reading your insecurity campaing proposals. I cant wait to support them!
Phil, thanx for thta. What you say is very true and with my support. I will draw you back to a story in another notorious estate - Kaloleni.
ReplyDeleteAll along, people in Kaloleni went through the same. One driver once told us that anytime, a passenger stops the matatu in Maziwa, he is 100% sure that there were thugs in the car or they are waiting at the stop.
It went on and on. At Maziwa, the blokes frisk through the pockets of passengers then cross into Kaloleni estand. Young boys mark you. Nobody replied.
In 2006, one of the esatates most famous footballers stood up in a piblic baraza at the Social Hall and castigated the community for allowoing the unwanton rape and criminal activities in the estate. The same night he was shot dead. The next morning, the entire estate marched to the assailants house.
Wha do you draw from that? People all along knew who was behind the crime and kept quiet.
On Ngong Road, and Adams Arcade or Jamhuri residents will tell you that the same happens. the matatu stops, you are robbed and in the dead of the night, the boys run into Kibera. In Kibera, the boys asking for guns is a easy as exchanging phone numbers in the West "Whats you number" its that easy.
Then the culture of glorifying Somaia, Patni, Kulei, Moi, now Livondo, then Jirongo and any grabber has hit Kenyan boys and all want to share the good times enjoyed, afterall Pattni was signing autographs to people he had made poorer till enternity.
I said yesterday, the community, the community. the community has nurtured a devil it cannot tame. Phil, not being particular, how many areas have used the CDF Funds to construt a police station? From my knowledge a few. The animal called politician will prefer a project that will been used for campaign purposes.
Soes it mean that politicians dont buy changaa for voters during campaigns. They do. it means that they are aware of the illegal actvities. Afterall, tens of crimes are planned in the changaa dens.
On Mungiki, I maintain that the police, the government, the politicians and the community has failed.
I hear, there is an estate in Mathare that is known for its criminal gangster life that to be robbed there is normal. A Mathare resident robbed and finds it normal! They have resigned to it.
I was in Kenya sometime back and and FM station call-in session was told that the residents fear reporting the thugs. So who is wrong there, public, or police.
Tackling the phone snatchers in the City Centre is not resducing crime but the police will always pride in that. One wrote the other day "clearing the small Kamaus, Njoroges, Otienos and Oumas is very easy, but the big anglo-leasing men is hard" it needs political goodwill, again, politicians.
Folks, sorry for the spelling errors. It is in the morning. I hope you dont find it very hard. Just realised the autospell check was off.
ReplyDeleteGood luck guys. Its never too late to start trying, but question is, where were you five years ago? Why do you think that the resignation of Michuki and Ali will end the killings? Is it not the same president Kibaki who will appoint the next security chief and chief boy-in-blue? I am not trying to belittle your attempts, but if I'm to be involved, its gotta be something that you can prove will work.
ReplyDeleteThen again, five months to the elections is just the ripest of times for you all political wannabes to start this going, but isn't it? And create the idea among your readers that you are ever so important that you can never reveal where you are for 'security reasons'.The victims of the Mungiki violence are not 'important' people like you and I (sic!), as you have seen. Its poor innocent Kenyans in Kibera and elsewhere in the countryside. And the Mungiki are poor frustrated Kikuyu men. I smell opportunism here.Colour me innocent, but I think what we need is dialogue.