Intelligence blamed over bus killings

A security expert has blamed poor intelligence for the Mandera bus attack, which claimed 28 lives.

Retired military officer Mwenda Mbijjiwe faulted the National Intelligence Service for failing to provide other security agencies with accurate intelligence, which could have helped in averting the attack last Saturday.

“What people do not want to admit is that our intelligence has failed. We are relying on white collar intelligence.

‘‘We have failed to involve the local people to carry out covert intelligence gathering. That way, we could have detected and averted the Mandera killings,” Mr Mbijjiwe said.

COVERT INTELLIGENCE

“The Moi administration survived for 24 years because of using covert intelligence involving the local people, the local shopkeepers, shoe-shiners, newspaper vendors in intelligence gathering. We no longer involve this class of citizens and that is why our intelligence is failing,” he added.

He also faulted the Kenya Defence Forces for failing to create a buffer zone along the Kenya/Somalia border to prevent Al-Shabaab militants from crossing into the country.

“The buffer zone should have pushed the Al-Shabaab to at least 200 kilometres inside Somalia.”