Why not direct our outrage at the perpetrators of these attacks?

When suspected terrorist Zahaf Bibeau, 32, breached security at the 155-year-old Canadian Parliament and began shooting at everyone in sight, public outrage was not directed at the Canadian Prime Minister, the Minister for Interior, the police chief or any other Canadian government official for that matter.

The outrage over the brazen October 22 attack was appropriately directed at the person who carried it out and at his suspected accomplices.

The whole country was galvanised and united in grief.  The populace focused its energy on supporting the government’s efforts to tighten security.

Here in Kenya, when guns, grenades, machetes, Al Shabaab flags and terrorism training material are found in places of worship, and security agents take appropriate action to clean out such places, our politicians see an opportunity to score political points.

Instead of being outraged by the malicious audacity of those who desecrate places of worship, they direct their anger at the government and security agents.

Instead of lauding the National Intelligence Service and security agents, some politicians launch an endless blame game.

When a renowned political leader takes to the podium and blames security agents, Interior Secretary Joseph ole Lenku and Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo for the problem of illegal guns, grenades and other weapons finding their way into mosques, it becomes apparent that our problem as a country is much deeper than we realise.

What logic would drive a leader to proclaim that “mosques don’t commit crimes” in the middle of an operation that has recovered inside a place of worship guns, grenades, machetes and other types of weapons capable of starting a small war?

DO NOT COMMIT CRIMES

True, mosques don’t commit crimes, but they surely become scenes of crime when illegal weapons are discovered in their hitherto hallowed precincts.

This reminds me of another event that occurred in Mombasa in February when security agents raided the Musa mosque and recovered guns, grenades, narcotic and CDs containing terrorism training materials.

The outrage of local politicians was about the “desecration” of a mosque by “security agents who stepped on the holy mats wearing shoes.” Someone help me understand how can stepping on the mosque floor with shoes be the crime and the defilement of the place of worship when those who did so went to recover weapons meant for killing innocent Kenyans Muslims and Christians alike?

Dear Kenyans, we are in a state of war. Terrorists and their accomplices have declared war on us, and we have no choice but to react in kind. It is a well-known and internationally accepted practice in a state of war to destroy armories of those seeking to do you harm.

When someone stores guns, grenades, machetes, Al Shabaab flags and terrorism training material in a place of worship, he or she makes that place of worship a legitimate military target. Those blaming security agents for the action they took to recover weapons in mosques should be happy that these buildings were not brought down under the doctrine of being legitimate military targets.

This brings us to last week’s cold-blooded massacre of 28 innocent Kenyans by Al Shabaab militants. The KDF launched an immediate retaliatory response in which 100 Al Shabaab militias were killed, their camps, vehicles and equipment destroyed.

But Kenyan opposition leaders saw in the Mandera Massacre yet another opportunity to score— yes, you guessed it right— discounted political points.

The time has come for us to stand together as a country and fight the enemy; for divided as we currently are, we strengthen and embolden those who seek to harm us.

The writer is the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination.