Listening to the Inspector General of police being interviewed last night on Citizen TV, one thing became very clear to Kenyans. Especially those of us who understand the Kenya police and the rot therein. We are in serious trouble. What our IG is clearly very good at is avoiding answering very important questions that affect our security. What is the point of being interviewed in the first place if you have nothing to say except defend yourself and the work (if you can call it that) you are doing?
When asked sensitive questions or pushed to a corner the IG starts by thanking the person asking the questions for the question ostensibly to give him a little more time to think what he is going to say. A better policy would have been to answer the questions directly. Admit where the police have failed and tell us precisely what he is doing to correct the situation.
Understandably there are certain security issues he cannot make public. But surely this cannot apply to every single question he was asked last night.
The most honorable thing for Bwana David Kimaiyo to do now is to resign immediately and allow another Kenyan who is competent to take over his job. Somebody else who will inspire more confidence in Kenyans in a country where being a victim of violent criminals has become the norm.
Even before we elaborate on his incompetence we need to ask a simple question. How does a man who heads our police force continue to remain in office as criminal gangs take over the country? How can he even face the press in interviews as fear spreads amongst innocent hard working Kenyans? It is totally immoral for the man to be so comfortable when the vast majority of Kenyans are so uncomfortable.
To start with the Inspector General of police is first and foremost a manager. A good manager sits down on a new job with a clear set of priorities. It is impossible to do everything. Indeed this applies to any management and leadership position, even the head of state of a country.
The question you ask yourself is what is the most urgent thing that needs to be done? You make your very short list in order of importance and then you focus and start working on tem number one. What are Kimaiyo’s priorities? Well he seems to have worked very hard to improve the police communication system as he proudly told Kenyans last night. Clearly that has to be one of his top priorities. Now what is the point of being able to quickly and easily get in touch with a police force best known for inaction? Why would any alert Kenyan want to easily call the very same policemen who have been known to frequently collude with the very criminals they may be reporting to those policemen? Doesn’t make sense to me.
At least the controversial and often criticized former Police commissioner major General Hussein Ali had a clear priority when he took over office and that was to deal with violent crime and violent gangs. Interestingly he did achieve great results and neutralized the dreaded Mungiki within a very short space of time, only that his methods were unlawful to say the least. So focused was the man that even as he left Vigilance house he was lobbying for new laws that would make being found in possession of a firearm the kind of thing no sane criminal would want to face punishment for. And remember that Ali was operating under the old constitution which he left him pretty vulnerable to the whims of the political class. Kimaiyo operating under the new constitution does not have any such worries.
Admittedly there is one thing that the IG is passionate about and that is fighting for more power and if he has his way there will be no reason for the National Police Service commission and its’ critical oversight role.
What Kenyans have heard most from the IG are endless excuses and the downplaying of serous crimes. Recently he told us with a straight face that the explosion at JKIA that destroyed sections of the roof at the JAVA was caused by a “loose light bulb that fell.” Last night when asked if he regretted that statement more excuses poured out of his mouth.
Those who like to defend our incompetent corrupt police force are always quick to tell Kenyans that the police are not equipped to fight crime effectively. This is laughable when you consider the fact that the police are not using what they already have. We have a national ID system with everybody’s fingerprints on it including many criminals (not all, but most). We also have all cell phone companies registering mobile phone users. What this means is that you can get fingerprints identify somebody and then be able to trace the precise location of the suspect you are looking for. Many countries in Africa do not have that kind of “assistance” in tracking down criminals.
It is true that the police have used this a few times but clearly they are busy with other more important stuff other than fighting serious violent crime in the country and the responsibility for this ridiculous policy can only fall squarely on the IG’s desk.
When you find the time to read newspapers you will quickly realize that the police are in fact very busy. Busy arresting people having sex on the beach and at Uhuru Park. Busy arresting those selling pornographic DVDs, busy guarding politicians, busy fighting NPSC for more power so that senior cops are less accountable. When will they ever find time from their busy schedule to address their core function?
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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Analyzing the Uhuru Presidency
It is now over 8 months since the 4th President of the Republic of Kenya took office.
The President is today a very different person when you compare him to the easy-going smiling presidential candidate of last March. Indeed he started off by showing signs that he was going to change things drastically... for the better.
As he announced his cabinet appointments in shirt sleeves with the Deputy president looking on, it looked like Kenyans were going to be treated to a very different presidency. Today the outlook is not that positive. In fact it is increasingly looking like business as usual at State house with the latest bombshell being the appointment of Kenyans who use false teeth products.
To be fair to President Uhuru, what is happening to him is nothing new. Indeed all the three men before him in office were all very ordinary simple good men who were transformed into something very different by the presidency.
His father Jomo Kenyatta was a humble teetotaller after publicly promising church elders in the 1920s that he would never touch alcohol again in his life. 30 years later there was evidence that Kenyatta not only kept his vow to the church but detested alcohol and strongly believed that the drinking of liquor was hindering the coming of independence for Kenya. However when Jomo landed at State house not only did he resume his drinking but he became the most feared president Kenya has ever had. A demi-god you would not dare dream of crossing if you valued your life.
Moi grew up walking extremely long distances to school and developed into a strong patient and tolerant man who could forgive almost anything. The presidency changed him into the ruthless dictator who straddled Kenya for 24 long years with no appetite for anything that was not domineering Kanu.
Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki was a staunch Catholic and brilliant economist who attracted the attention of the young Kanu party because of his educational background at a time when it was very rare for an African to have a high school education let alone be a university lecturer. This prompted Tom Mboya to drive from Nairobi all the way to Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda in an air cooled VW beetle to persuade Kibaki that his country needed him more than Makerere University did. Mboya is said to have come back
with Kibaki in the VW. Always the reluctant politician and determined to retain his dignity and stick to his principals, Kibaki became a very different person when he entered State House. Kenyans got a glimpse of the new Kibaki when elections 2007 came calling and he was not prepared to be a one term president, whatever the verdict of the voters was going to be. During the post election crisis of December 2007 and January 2008 that followed his nightime swearing in at State house a friend of mine was so shocked that he just kept on muttering under his breath…
"This is not Kibaki, this is not Kibaki," over and over again.
The easy going compassionate Uhuru is already rapidly changing into something else quite similar to his predecessors in office.
In my book Dark Secrets of the Kenyan Presidency I make a strong case for the office of the president to be done away with in our constitution and to be replaced by a strong parliamentary system. Get a FREE version of the book NOW.
What are your views on this?
Kumekucha's Latest News Analysis
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Westgate: Why is the FBI contradicting numerous intelligence agencies about fate of 4 attackers?
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Read the crazy crazy list of articles that even Kumekucha was terrified to publish. Mind boggling information on Kenyan politicians and politics. Get it in your email inbox in seconds.
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