Our government may goof but the enemy remains the terrorist
What you need to know:
- Previously too much time was spend trying to determine what was going on, from bank robberies to ethnic cleansing.
- Talking of helicopters, this is the same country that was reputed to fly presidential speeches to regional locations for public holidays. Isn’t there one or two that can be borrowed or even stolen during national emergencies?
- In his book, Guns Freedom and Terrorism, Wayne Lapierre argues that the army, police, and other security organs cannot be everywhere all the time to protect people, but Kenyans are everywhere all the time.
Kenyans are going through a very difficult time, having to bury more than 140 young, promising youth whose lives were cut short by the bullets, and even knives, of terrorists.
This is a very delicate time to say anything in this country, let alone write it; you could be quoted to your grave by an angry nation. But as angry as we all are, we need to remember that the psychological impact of a terror attack is its intended outcome. Let me remind us all of some sensitive, delicate matters.
No matter how badly our government goofs in the face of a terrorist attack, the enemy remains the terrorist. Nothing any government official says will pacify us, and it is best that they remain silent and we accuse them of silence.
Perchance we shall understand that their better judgment restrains them from talking, lest their words become salt in our wounds.
But we have improved, I insist. At least within half an hour we were clear that it was a terrorist attack. Previously too much time was spend trying to determine what was going on, from bank robberies to ethnic cleansing. We would make the rounds as a nation before finally accepting that we were under attack – by terrorists.
GESTURE OF KINDNESS
We assumed that these delays in determining the problem delayed the security reaction, but apparently not. We cannot ever account for the 11 hours between the attack and the trained, organised response. This will forever be written in our history of shame, on the same page as the painful loss of our university students.
Writing personal messages is a gesture of kindness that is unprecedented on the part of the President. No, it will not change anything, but that is not the reason that we condole with the bereaved.
That notwithstanding, the response cannot escape criticism. If only one helicopter is available in an emergency and it can only carry three people, doesn’t logic dictate that those three be the most relevant, technical people to the situation? The Cabinet secretary does not qualify as technical or relevant in a terrorist attack because he is at policy level. In such a situation, he can draw up or change policy even from his house if necessary.
As for the Inspector-General of Police, until Kenyans understand what it is that he generally inspects, holders of that office may continue to be hounded out by collective negative national karma.
Talking of helicopters, this is the same country that was reputed to fly presidential speeches to regional headquarters for public holidays. Isn’t there one or two that can be borrowed or even stolen during national emergencies?
WHEN RECCE DELAY
Then there are comments by the acting Director of the National Disaster Management Unit , which have been angrily reacted to. The inappropriate use of words like ‘cockroach’ is unforgivable and thoughtless in the extreme, but Mr Mwachi has a point. In unconventional wars like terrorism, a nation cannot just wait for the Recce squad each time an attack takes place.
The question is whether there is anything 140-plus people can do against four. If there is anything we can do as Kenyans, then it should be done, even as we anticipate government playing its role of protecting us.
In his book, Guns, Freedom and Terrorism, Wayne Lapierre argues that the army, police, and other security organs cannot be everywhere all the time to protect people, but Americans (read Kenyans) are everywhere all the time.
He advocates ideas that may cause more problems than solutions, such as armed civilians, but his point of people being everywhere cannot be overlooked. It is impossible to identify a terrorist by their language, physical appearance, ethnic affiliation or even nationality, but suspicious behaviour can be a good indicator of trouble.
Surveillance and unexplained photography have been identifiers as such, along with fake documents, but the question of IDs in Kenya seems irresolvable.
Does this lessen the responsibility of the government to protect Kenyans and her sovereign state? Not at all. Someone is just urging simple logic, which the population has become very averse to.
September 11, 2001 marked the end of the age of innocence for Americans as far as terrorism and terrorist attacks are concerned. What will it take Kenyans to end our innocence on terrorism and do everything that can be done to protect ourselves and our children?
Twitter: @muthonithangwa
