Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers arrive at the Westgate mall in Nairobi on September 22, 2013. PHOTO/AFP
In Summary
Military intervention in a joint operation is based on a clear doctrine that defines the chain of command and responsibilities”
Events of the past two weeks, which culminated in the surprise terror onslaught on the Westgate Mall and the botched rescue efforts stunned everyone.
We all agree that corruption, ineptitude, and negligence are the reasons for the failure leading to the carnage.
Kenyans have shown their compassion, uniting in the face of adversity. However, they swiftly reverted to their old ways, speculating and peddling rumours.
Some even obstructed the work of investigators while others felt it was time to pretend to be military strategists. The grand finale of the madness was the allegations of looting during the rescue work.
We should try to understand the implication of Westgate rather than emphasise on the fallout. How come no one is yet to point out the symbolism of the D-Day for this attack? The eve of September 21 was the reincarnation of September 11 and we were caught napping!
Terrorists are able to infiltrate our cities because of our disjointed national security plan. After dozens of security breaches and grenade attacks leading to death of citizens in churches, and market centres, the government should have sealed all the gaps that compromise national security.
Counter-terrorism is an elaborate framework of security coordination. It involves monitoring of people’s movement, surveillance, information sharing, and strict adherence and enforcement of laws designed to prevent infiltration and security breaches.
It’s an elaborate system that calls for unified control at the strategic levels. And it is this complexity that led the US Government to enact a raft of far-reaching anti-terror legislation, including the establishment of a central body, Homeland Security, to oversee the activities of all state actors and other players in the war against terror.
In an emergency situation, the model of incident command designates the first person at the emergency to retain the overall command until the operation command establishes, in the fullness of time, that it is ready to take over.
This concept is the same during combat. A unit that must maintain enemy contact is established as the operation framework evolves, until the battle is eventually decided.
The Kenya Defence Forces are mandated by the Constitution to aid civil authorities in executing internal security operations when called upon.
Therefore, classifying counter-terror operation as an internal security operation is missing the point.
Nevertheless, military intervention in a joint operation is based on a clear doctrine that defines the chain of command and responsibilities.
In this regard, the reports of misunderstanding between different security agencies involved in the operation points to a bigger problem of inefficiency and poor standards of training that affects professionalism.
Otherwise, the keyword on the task table for agencies responding to a siege starts and ends with a cordon, search, rescue, assault, and arrest.
If everyone played their right role, we would remain united in fortifying our defences against the enemy
Major Wato, a former army officer, is a security professional and works with an international organisation.
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