How Nairobi intends to combat insecurity threat

Since 1998 over 700 Kenyans have died from terrorist attacks. The latest massacre of 148 Kenyans, more painful as it is, reminds us that our security, as currently set, is most vulnerable.

A re-think of how security operations are carried out is now a matter of national urgency. It is time the national and county governments came together to re-evaluate how we secure our country.

Currently, things are not working perfectly. They are not working when law enforcement can arrive 10 hours late into a terrorist attack of the Garissa magnitude, and when personnel have to be flown from Nairobi. It is not working when everyone at crime scenes is so helpless.

It is not working that government security agencies use places such as Garissa, Wajir and Mandera to post errant officers as a form of punishment. Such officers may already be demoralised and will offer poor response to emergencies. Since terrorist attacks are likely to happen anywhere and at any time, security operations should have a more localised control, preferably at the county level.

The calibre of officers likely to respond should be high. We need to ask whether county governments should remain on the periphery of security operations and how we need to involve citizens more in securing our neighbourhoods. Security of our people should be first on the list of all our priorities at national and county levels.

Several things need to be done as a matter of urgency, and I will make proposals based on the county that is most sensitive and whose security show-cases the security of the whole of Kenya. This is Nairobi. This does not, however, mean that the issues are far less important in other sensitive counties.

At the centre of all proposals is the need to make all citizens, especially the youth, players in securing our country. What we are going through now is no different from the environment in Israel, where all youth undergo some form of security training before joining colleges and universities. At the time of need, they can be called upon to protect their country. We can emulate that here in Kenya. We need to make the youth aware of their role in the security of our country.

We need to strengthen our residents associations and tie them closely to the Nyumba Kumi initiative. Nairobi County has mooted the Nairobi City County Community and Neighbourhood Initiatives Recognition and Facilitation Bill 2015, premised on creating more cohesion between government and the citizens. The main objective of the Bill is to establish a legal framework for engagement between citizens and the county government.

Over the years, residents of Nairobi have organised themselves into neighbourhood associations for their common good, including the pooling of resources to provide security services, ensure garbage collection, and generally ensure the habitability and maintenance of the value of their investments and property, oftentimes taking over functions that the authorities were meant to perform.

These interventions largely go unrecognised when they should be supported and expanded.

Nairobi is in the process of formally recognising these initiatives.

This will enable the county government not only to entrench the principle of participation of the people but also enable the regulation of the activities of these associations so that there is an understanding of the expectations and incentives that are intended for them.

With such recognition, citizens can achieve ownership of common good including security, protection of public utilities, pooling of resources, and enhancement of the sense of community.

Enhancing the sense of community has many benefits as people will be able to own their neighbourhoods. If the neighbourhoods are owned by the people, it will be difficult for criminals to have their way.

People will be able to raise concern when new strangers happen by, when suspicious people come to reside among them.

Sharing of information will be mutual and communal, and the work of the police will be much easier. Security infrastructure like the recently refurbished 26,000 street lights in Nairobi county and the soon-to-be installed 56,000 street lights will face the wrath of vandals and criminals if citizens do not join the county government in securing them.

Terrorists who killed our children in Garissa resided and prepared themselves for the evil mission within the community. More cohesion among residents may have made a difference.

With accurate statistics, law enforcement will be able to determine which neighbourhoods need attention the most. For example, all US cities have a neighbourhood scout and an enterprise-grade data system which is monitored online.

Information fed into this tool comes from residents and residents’ associations. This helps law enforcement zero in on areas where crime fighting resources should be focused.

Dr Kidero is the Governor of Nairobi