Furious Kenya MPs blame Westgate Mall tragedy on laxity of security officials

Speaker of National Assembly Justin Muturi, hands a
cheque of Sh2 million to Kenya Red Cross Director Abbas
Gullet. Looking on is Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro
 and Members of Parliament.   [PHOTO: WILBERFORCE
OKWIRI/STANDARD]

September 24th 2013 

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi led MPs in marking a minute-long silence in memory of those killed in the Westgate terror attack.
In silence, the MPs reflected on the horrifying events of the mall tragedy yesterday.
It was the calm before a storm – when the MPs started debating the incident, they had no kind words for the country’s security managers.
The MPs lauded the police, medics, volunteers and civilian Kenyans for their support in helping the victims of the four-day siege. “We are a nation in mourning, but we are a nation more united in spirit and in deed,” said the Speaker in a special announcement in the House at which he thanked the MPs for donating Sh2 million towards a kitty for all the terror victims and their families.
The House then went into an emergency session to discuss the security situation and the weekend tragedy. MPs jostled to air their opinions, and at one point the special digital system showed that there were 100 MPs who had asked for the Speaker’s go-ahead to contribute on the matter.
Hard questions

The lawmakers expressed outrage at the security lapse that allowed the terrorists, among them foreigners, into the country smuggling in arms and holding the military in a stand-off for four days. “Some real hard questions will have to be asked to our security operators and all these bodies that use a lot of taxpayers’ money,” said Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso.
Timothy Wanyonyi in whose constituency the terror attack happened condemned the incident and pushed for reforms in the security apparatus.
“We put individuals in positions and they can’t perform, I believe. This thing did not just happen, it was planned and meticulously executed,” said Wanyonyi, as he lamented over huge intelligence gathering failure before the attack.
Minority Leader Francis Nyenze and Majority Leader Adan Duale also condemned the attack.
Duale whose Garissa Township constituency, has been engulfed in terror since Kenya sent its soldiers into neighbouring Somalia, said the raid should be a wake-up call for the government to institute security reforms“This is the time to evaluate the security of our country. This is the time to assess whether the men and women we have in charge of our security are working. Our security is paramount. I’m sure the President and the government will have something to do about it,” he said.

The House lauded the Kenya Red Cross for their prompt response and asked that the disaster management department be scrapped and that mandate given to the Red Cross. “We don’t need to have a disaster management department; we need to give the Kenya Red Cross money,” said Duale.
Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini) who was caught up in the attack with his wife and two children, said: “I almost lost my family.” He thanked an officer, Frank Musungu, for saving his family. “What I saw there, I could not believe. When I heard the gunfire, I don’t know how I left that place. As I was taking off, I took off with my wife and two children,” said Wamalwa.
At the same time, the chairman of the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, Ndung’u Gethenji (Tetu), appreciated the work the authorities had done in securing hostages and neutralising the situation. But he complained that corruption in the security apparatus was to blame for the lapse.
The chairman of the Administration and National Security Committee of the National Assembly, Asman Kamama, said his team would audit security. Fatuma Ibrahim (Wajir County MP) lamented that such attacks were rampant in Wajir, but the authorities had not taken the threats seriously.