Mandera Police officers at the scene where a vehicle in the convoy of
Governor Ali Roba was blown by an improvised explosive device (IED),
killing five of their colleagues, on May 24, 2017. PHOTO | MANASE
OTSIALO | NMG
While the country celebrates 54 years of
self-rule, Kenyans are watching the security landscape with
apprehension as it appears that the Al-Shabaab terror group is stepping
up its attacks on Kenyan soil.
Nine police officers and a civilian were killed on Wednesday in Lamu after their vehicle hit an explosive device.
The
attack, coming less than a week after roadside bombs killed 11 police
officers along Kenya’s border with Somalia, paints an alarming picture
of a counter-terror effort that is relapsing.
Kenya and
her (regional and Western) allies who have invested billions of
shillings as well as immeasurable human capital in the fight against the
Somalia-based group simply cannot afford to lose this war.
It
is clear that the Al-Shabaab is becoming deadlier as it makes gains
both in Somalia and Kenya, a reality the United Nations Secretary-
General Antonio Guterres recently warned the Security Council about even
in the face of internal squabbling and increased raids by allied
forces.
With an enemy that appears to be regaining
ground, it is therefore terrifying to learn that the armoured vehicles
commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta early last year to protect
security personnel in this fight may actually not be that effective.
The
Lamu attack on police officers is puzzling given reports that the
improvised explosive device (IED) shattered the armoured personnel
carrier (APC), which is meant to withstand or at the very least, protect
the lives of those inside it.
However, all lives were lost and Kenyans are now left
wondering whether the much-touted and very expensive ‘state-of-the art’
vehicles that were delivered under tight security were really value for
taxpayers’ money.
To this day, the details of the deal with government that brought us the Chinese-made machinery are still shrouded in secrecy.
The
national security cloak that has been used to silence queries regarding
this and other related transactions made in Kenyans’ names now needs to
be uncovered.
Parliament’s committee on national
security and foreign relations should take centre position in the matter
by investigating whether there may have been irregularities in the APC
deal.
Going forward, the State needs to be more
transparent with taxpayers regarding similar deals as secrecy creates
room lack of accountability.
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