Short-sighted Kenyan politicians are playing into the hands of terrorists
What you need to know:
- The heightened political tensions politicised the terrorism threat, both at the national level and in local politics, and the resulting recriminations and divisions served Al-Shabaab’s interests.
- It is unfortunate that Kenya, once touted as one of the most tolerant societies in Africa, is now being portrayed by none other than Al-Shabaab as a place where intolerance and tribalism are rife.
- Meanwhile, Kenya’s leadership, according to the International Crisis Group, has been unable to produce a convincing national strategy and is content to score short-term political points over their opponents while doing absolutely nothing to allay fears and tensions between Kenyans of different ethnicities and faiths.
Is it possible that Kenya’s intelligence and security organs have been infiltrated by Al-Shabaab? A recently-released report by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) says a police officer attached to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit helped terrorists to smuggle arms from Somalia, which were then used to launch the Mpeketoni attacks in Lamu county.
According to the authority, a Witu-based officer coordinated the activities of the arms smugglers.
This alarming revelation comes hot on the heels of another paper by the International Crisis Group that says that Al-Shabaab is using historical injustices and political divisions in Kenya to advance its agenda in the country.
The paper notes that both the government and the opposition used the attacks in Lamu, in particular, to advance their respective political ambitions, thereby weakening the country’s ability to deal with terrorism.
By blaming “local political networks” for the Mpeketoni attack, President Kenyatta created the impression that the killings were a form of ethnic cleansing by groups opposed to the Kikuyu who had settled in Lamu County even though Al-Shabaab took responsibility for the attack.
On his part, opposition leader Raila Odinga used the attack to call for a referendum on the government’s performance on various issues, including insecurity.
The heightened political tensions politicised the terrorism threat, both at the national level and in local politics, and the resulting recriminations and divisions served Al-Shabaab’s interests.
The International Crisis Group’s chilling conclusion should send shivers down the spine of every Kenyan: “Al-Shabaab has kept its promise to bring the war to Kenya, whether by its own hand or local affiliates and by sowing divisions in a nation still not at ease with itself… The timing and targets show a clear understanding of the pressure points of contemporary Kenya, namely ethnicity, land, corruption and (perhaps more coincidentally) at a time when the implementation of the 2010 Constitution has created a period of the greatest institutional flux seen since independence.”
In an audio message, a senior Al-Shabaab fighter posted the following message: “Thank God, Kenyan society is divided and facing ethnic clashes between the Kikuyu and the Luo…the opposition and the government are divided and it seems would not come together soon…Kenya might also be divided along Christian and Muslim lines.”
It is unfortunate that Kenya, once touted as one of the most tolerant societies in Africa, is now being portrayed by none other than Al-Shabaab as a place where intolerance and tribalism are rife.
DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
Meanwhile, Kenya’s leadership, according to the International Crisis Group, has been unable to produce a convincing national strategy and is content to score short-term political points over their opponents while doing absolutely nothing to allay fears and tensions between Kenyans of different ethnicities and faiths.
Disastrous operations such as Usalama Watch in Eastleigh, which became opportunities for bribe-taking by the police, have not helped improve security either.
On the contrary, ethnic Somalis living in Kenya are now even less likely to cooperate with security organs to locate or identify terrorists.
The killing of radical Muslim clerics at the coast is reinforcing perceptions that the Kenyan government has resorted to extra-judicial means to address terrorism.
It is time the government and the opposition stopped politicising terrorism and dividing the country as these conditions are playing into the hands of terrorists.
Making political capital out of terrorism is a short-sighted strategy that can sow seeds of mistrust, suspicion, and fear among an already polarised citizenry. Terrorists and radical groups exploit such divisions to cause mayhem. We must not give them that opportunity.
The IPOA report emphasises that the lack of a centralised command structure severely weakened the police response in Mpeketoni. This calls for a serious re-organisation and reform of the various security organs, with a view to ensuring better coordination. None of this will bear results, however, if corruption is not tackled head-on.
In addition to reforms in the security sector, the government should also acknowledge and address historical injustices in order to reduce the ethnic and political tensions that are threatening to divide this country even further.
