Cord leader Raila Odinga pays his last respects to the late Senator
Otieno Kajwang' during the funeral ceremony on November 28, 2014. PHOTO |
TOM OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Partly because of my background, my father’s influence in
particular, and then my own love for my country and commitment to see it
flourish in every way, I have been involved in Kenya’s political life
for longer than the vast majority of our young population has been
alive.
Together with like-minded patriots I was there
when the agitation towards a freer or more just system of governance in
Kenya started in the 1970s through the 1980s. I was at the heart of
calls for political pluralism and constitutional change in the 1990s and
have remained true to the vision that informed these calls ever since.
I
have spent more time as a political prisoner for my belief in a better,
fairer, peaceful and united Kenya than any other citizen of this
country.
With that in mind I request Kenyans to lend
me their ear in good faith. It matters not whether you are a CORD
supporter or even if you don’t like me as a person. We are all Kenyans
and what I’m about to say affects us all and the future of our beloved
country.
BABA WHILE YOU WERE AWAY
When
I returned to Kenya after a sabbatical in the US this past May, I found
Kenyans, ever creative and full of humour, had created the hashtag on
Twitter #BabaWhileYouWereAway.
I retain the humility
and have been in public life long enough to appreciate something
important. The massive energy unleashed by #BabaWhileYouWereAway on
social media and even the huge rallies that showed up as we subsequently
toured the country were not only about me — Raila Odinga. It was and
remains the symptom of a deeper, more troubling malaise regarding
governance in Kenya. It threatens the very continued peaceful existence
of Kenya as a coherent nation-state.
Unless we are collectively extremely careful, Kenya can fail.
At
the heart of the current condition is fear and despondency that has
gripped Kenya particularly because of the collapse in security in a
country that had always prided itself as a bastion of peace and
stability in a troubled region.
I’m not saying
incidents of insecurity in various parts of the county are new to us,
only that since the last elections, things have gotten dramatically
worse.
One key reason for this is cowardly terrorist
attacks by al Shabaab especially since the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)
invaded Somalia in 2011.
Until our incursion into
Somalia, terror attacks on Kenya were scarce and far between. We recall
that in 1980 a bomb flattened the Norfolk Hotel on New Year’s Eve,
killing 20 people and injuring 80.
A Palestinian group
claimed responsibility, saying it was in retaliation for Kenya allowing
Israeli troops to refuel in the capital en route from rescuing 100
hostages being held by pro-Palestinian hijackers at Entebbe Airport in
Uganda.
Then came the August 7, 1998 bombing of US
Embassy in Nairobi by Al Qaeda affiliated suicide bombers killing 212
and leaving an estimated 4,000 wounded — mostly Kenyans.
On November 28, 2002 there was a missile attack on an Israeli plane shortly after it took off from Mombasa airport, but missed.
At
the same time, a car carrying explosives smashed through a barrier the
Paradise Hotel in the city as it received 60 Israeli tourists checking
in. Ten Kenyans and three Israelis died in the attack.
The
situation has deteriorated rapidly since our troops moved into Somalia.
We have since then been subjected to regular attacks against churches,
bars, bus stations, military sites and shopping centres around the
country.
This escalation intensified when the Jubilee
administration came to power in March 2013. In 2014 alone, there have
been 25 attacks!
When on August 4, about eight armed
men hurled grenades at the Mandera County Government offices, Kenya
media reported that the attack marked the 100th successful such strike
in the country since October 2011.
FIRST ANNIVERSARY
The
Mandera attack happened weeks into the first anniversary of the highly
coordinated Westgate attack in which 68 people were killed and more than
175 others injured.
The other significant attack has been the Lamu-Mpeketoni massacre where about 100 Kenyans were shot dead or their throats slit.
Once
again I take this opportunity to condemn these attacks most
emphatically while condoling the families and friends of the hundreds of
Kenyans who have been murdered or maimed.
The fact
that Al Shabaab has been able to mount so many attacks within Kenya’s
borders points to a systemic failure in our security system.
Even
ordinary wananchi have been able to deduce that while countries such as
Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda also have troops in Somalia under
Amisom’s mandate, they have not suffered the same fate as Kenya. This is
not for want of trying on al Shabaab’s part. In July 2010 they set off a
device that killed 74 and left 70 injured in a Kampala pub where people
were watching football.
Clearly, our neighbours have
demonstrated that they could have more effective security agencies
despite the huge sums of money spent on ours.
In truth, a working security system is not about CCTV cameras and other gadgetry.
The
effectiveness of disciplined forces is first and foremost heavily
dependent on the quality of leadership they have. Ours has been found to
be severely wanting, compromised by tribalism, partisan politics,
favouritism, corruption and nepotism.
Corruption is a
particularly major but unquantified issue in our security threats. I
intend to address this comprehensively on the International
Anti-Corruption Day.
In regard to the failure of
leadership in the security services and the contradictions within — the
buck stops with the President. Under public pressure he took the
positive step of removing the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and
Inspector General of Police earlier this week.
It is
too early to celebrate, however, as the entire security apparatus of the
country clearly isn’t working and is in a state of deep dysfunction. As
Commander-in-Chief, President Kenyatta knows final responsibility lies
with him.
Thus far his response to the spate of
attacks since March last year has been to propagandise the issue instead
of tackling its root causes.
Additionally, the
statements made by senior officials after the attacks have served to
demonstrate insensitivity, incompetence and even outright dishonesty.
The
Jubilee manifesto’s border security programme and the promised
Commission of Inquiry into Westgate both have been blatant non-starters
for example.
AL-SHABAAB KILLED
After
the first Mandera attack two weeks ago Deputy President Ruto claimed
that Kenyan forces had killed more than 100 al Shabaab militants only to
have them literally ‘rise from the dead’ to strike a week later with
impunity.
After the second attack, the Deputy
President blamed the dead, saying they had been asked to leave but they
declined. A country becomes ungovernable when its citizens cannot
believe the statements of the leaders on the most critical aspects of
national security.
In part this loss of trust is what
has fed the fear and despondency in Kenyans. Governing by propaganda and
slogans has failed. The time is over for politics of photo
opportunities and sound bites. The time for a review and overhaul of our
entire security system is now.
In particular the
‘Tonje Rules’ that articulated the process via which military officers
are promoted and retired should be reinstated.
Abandoning them has left us in a situation where its not even clear whether the current Chief of General Staff is legally in office. Besides, he is one of those in the security sector who should also exit the scene for public confidence to be renewed. If Ole Lenku and Kimaiyo failed, so did Julius Karangi and Ndegwa Muhoro. They too must leave. I was a member of the Cabinet that approved Kenya’s incursion into Somalia in 2011. However, what was approved was a rapid response move to secure our borders and protect Kenyans and our tourism industry.
Abandoning them has left us in a situation where its not even clear whether the current Chief of General Staff is legally in office. Besides, he is one of those in the security sector who should also exit the scene for public confidence to be renewed. If Ole Lenku and Kimaiyo failed, so did Julius Karangi and Ndegwa Muhoro. They too must leave. I was a member of the Cabinet that approved Kenya’s incursion into Somalia in 2011. However, what was approved was a rapid response move to secure our borders and protect Kenyans and our tourism industry.
At the end
of 2014 we are still in Somalia without clarity on the KDF’s mandate or
an exit strategy. The updates the public used to get have stopped. An
exit strategy is needed urgently.
In June, I offered
President Kenyatta the opportunity to dialogue about issues of national
importance such as security and was rebuffed.
The
safety of the lives and property of Kenyans is above politics. If we
continue down the road we are headed then the bloody consequences will
injure us all and undermine the coherence of Kenya as a nation.
Many
government supporters and even some officials respond to criticism from
those they deem the opposition by asking for ‘solutions’. The
opposition is not a think tank for the government. If the government has
ran out of ideas it should reach out to experienced Kenyans of
integrity to help or stand down.
The writer is former Prime Minister and Cord principal
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