Agencies cleanup will bolster anti-terror war, says Mudavadi

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi at Redeemed Gospel Church in Outering, Nairobi, on January 20, 2019. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

In the wake of the dusitD2 attack by Al-Shabaab terrorists and the call for vigilance by all Kenyans, politician Musalia Mudavadi has asked the government to weed out officers who take bribes to let them into the country.

The Amani National Congress party leader said on Sunday that the new approach should centre on identifying the 'bag eggs" in the government and security agencies.

The government must change tack in the war on terror, Mr Mudavadi said, observing that its face has changed and that the enemy is now within.

“We must weed out people who allow these terrorists to cross into the country by taking bribes so that Kenya can be safe," he said at Redeemed Gospel Church in Outering, Nairobi.

"Let us not take terrorism for granted but be our brothers’ keepers and know what goes on around us. The terrorists are not from Somalia as we have always believed. One was from Western and the other from Central."

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Mr Mudavadi, however, congratulated security forces for their response to the act of terror, noting that more than 700 people were rescued.

“If the security arms had not acted tactfully, more lives would have been lost. They foiled more deaths and acted [appropriately] under the circumstances,” he said.

He asked them to carry out regular evaluations of Kenya's security and seal loopholes, including those that allow the free flow of weapons, which he termed worrying.

Mr Mudavadi further called for a legal framework for the proper vetting and training of private guards before they are armed.

"Arms in anybody’s hands can equally be dangerous," he said, adding the government should also ensure security firms have proper armouries so the weapons are not stolen during raids.

“It is not something easy that can be done overnight and it should not be done without proper security evaluation. What preparations or training will one undergo to be allowed to be a firearm holder? We must be very careful," he said.