Politicians are unable to address insecurity
What you need to know:
- Politicians play it down, security seem to exaggerate while only the British and American agents appear to know what is going on with regards to radicalisation and criminalisation of the youth and the identities of the big fish behind the billion-dollar drugs trade.
- Politicians know almost every youth trained in Somalia; they know the mercenaries and criminal elements as well as the misguided who would now want to escape the threats from police, their families, and Al-Shabaab.
- In Kwale County alone, 600 youth have returned. You can identify them by their idleness and smart clothes. A small minority have been responsible for the recent killing of 17 in two locations.
The top brass in the Coast held a high profile meeting last Sunday and thereafter issued a communiqué revealing their intentions to establish their own bank, tourism agency and commonwealth of coastal counties.
There was not a single mention of the drugs problem or the insecurity that has brought the tourism sector to its knees; not even a word about the Lamu curfew that has paralysed the Island holiday and fishing industry.
On the same day, this newspaper carried details of seven suspects named by the ATPU and CID as members of a gang, who had just returned from Somalia, and were allegedly responsible for recent killings in the coast.
A keen eye would guess that this was a prelude to a major swoop in the city. Sure enough, a few hours later, 251 youth were hauled off to the county’s police cells.
As expected, politicians complained about the raids on mosques; angry youth joined protests, robbing and killing the innocent and now a self-imposed curfew is in place in Kisauni. All so predictable, hopeless and not a spark of leadership or resolution in sight.
Politicians insist these incidents are ‘isolated’ while GSU patrol the streets. Fact is, there is a huge disconnect between the political class and the security machinery in the coast.
PLAY IT DOWN
Both, however, seem to be footless and unable to make any serious contribution towards addressing the problems. Politicians play it down, security seem to exaggerate while only the British and American agents appear to know what is going on with regards to radicalisation and criminalisation of the youth and the identities of the big fish behind the billion-dollar drugs trade.
This column has consistently pointed out the blunders and crimes committed by the ATPU and regular police through its raids on mosques, extrajudicial killings and disappearances. Their reliance on brawn rather than brain has exasperated the situation and resulted in increased recruitment into extremist and criminal groups.
Their approach is predictable, primitive and prone to failure.
But politicians, too, have shown little leadership in addressing or resolving the insecurity. Beyond complaints and defending their own people, they have remained mute as the economy crumbles around their feet.
'IDLENESS AND SMART CLOTHES'
Politicians know almost every youth trained in Somalia; they know the mercenaries and criminal elements as well as the misguided who would now want to escape the threats from police, their families, and Al-Shabaab.
Politicians have no plans for amnesty, rehabilitation or even any idea how these wayward youth could benefit from the revamped NYS programme.
In Kwale County alone, 600 youth have returned. You can identify them by their idleness and smart clothes. A small minority have been responsible for the recent killing of 17 in two locations.
The situation is no different in the North Rift with politicians emerging from the wilderness to issue vague threats without vision or leadership to resolve conflicts that have propelled them to power and maintained them there.
Politicians in both regions seem not willing to confront the militant youth because they may need them in 2017. This country is crying out for leaders and sick and tired of politicians.
[email protected] @GabrielDolan1
