Detractors should stop sowing hatred between police service and communities

Police officers round up illegal immigrants. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | FILE

What you need to know:

  • The leaders need to give constructive criticism and not shift blame when it comes to such matters of security
  • Kenyans should volunteer useful information which can lead to the arrest of criminals living amongst them

The ongoing crackdown against criminals across the country is not targeting any particular community or religious group but individuals who have been terrorising Kenyans.

The operation is aimed at restoring law and order and it is unfortunate that some Kenyans have trivialised it, claiming that it is aimed at certain religious groups and members from one particular community.

Those arrested in the past few weeks are from different communities in Kenya and foreigners who do not possess legal documents to be in the country. The operation is being done professionally and those who carry it out should not be criticised for their efforts to weed out criminals from society.

However, some leaders have implied that the operation has taken a religious dimension, and undermined professional careers of government officers by criticising their efforts in the fight against crime.

The fact that these officers held positions in other sectors does not mean they cannot effectively head the security docket. In any case, it is a collective responsibility to report any acts of lawlessness to security agencies.

At the same time, the religious beliefs of all Kenyans have been respected during the operation.

We all have our religious backgrounds and possibly positions in the religious leadership which has nothing to do with fighting crime.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

The terrorists who have been harassing Kenyans live amongst us and the crackdown is aimed at ensuring Kenyans live in a conducive environment to carry out their daily activities without any fear.

The leaders need to give constructive criticism and not shift blame when it comes to such matters of security.

All Kenyans have a right to security as enshrined in the Constitution irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.

For lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi to claim in his article which appeared in your publication that Kenyan Somalis are treated like second-class citizens shows he is misinterpreting facts. (AHMEDNASIR: Kenyan Somalis are treated like second-class citizens)

Those leaders defending criminals they want us believe criminals are good citizens, but as we stated earlier, the government is not purging any community; we are just weeding out criminals.

What Mr Abdullahi needs to understand is that security is enshrined in the Constitution, legislation and respective arms of government are involved in ensuring law and order are maintained at all times.

In any case, security matters are a collective responsibility where all Kenyans irrespective of their religion, tribe or political affiliation must participate if we are to get rid of the criminals hindering efforts to restore law and order in every corner of this nation.

Kenyans should volunteer useful information which can lead to the arrest of criminals living amongst them.

To what extent have those leaders criticising the security operation participated in the war against crime?

It is also preposterous for Mr Abdullahi to claim there is violation of human rights without evidence.

We care for the people in custody and anybody with evidence of violation of human rights should report the matter to the relevant authorities instead of writing alarming statements which can create animosity between the government and certain communities.

Article 33 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression to every Kenyan but this does not mean that we should write or say anything on sensitive matters without giving facts.

I wish to assure Kenyans that we shall not relent in the war against terrorism and other criminal activities in any part of this country. I shall continue the task of keeping Kenya safe by protecting lives and property.

We ask for support of all Kenyans in the fight against terrorism since the security arms of government cannot singlehandedly win the war.

But whatever the case, it is high time that we as citizens, distinguished between petty issues and serious matters of security.

I urge Mr Abdullahi to meditate over his remarks and join other Kenyans in the crusade against insecurity.

Mr Kimaiyo is the Inspector-General of Police