Let’s step back, ask the hard questions about security

September 28th 2013, By Kamotho Waiganjo

In its usual chilling style, terror paid its nth visit to Kenya this week. By the time the Westgate terror was contained, it had left a litany of death and numerous physically and psychologically wounded victims.

It left us feeling angry and vulnerable but not bowed, to borrow President Uhuru’s words.

But in an otherwise gloomy week, we must celebrate our heroes, the youthful Haji, that cop with a child balanced on his gun, the thousands who queued to donate blood and many unrecorded stars. After so many hits by the terror networks we must now define Westgate as our 9-11, the same way America defined 9-11 as its terrorism waterloo.

Whereas we must accept that Westgate may not be our last engagement with terror, our approach to dealing with it must change fundamentally.

Because we live in a dangerous neighbourhood we cannot avoid stepping on the toes of the terror networks and they will retaliate. I have heard simplistic arguments that Kenya should have stayed out of Somalia to avoid terrorism. People advancing this argument forget that Kenya had been hit by at least three major terrorist attacks before we entered Somalia.

And that strategically a stable non-extremist Somalia serves Kenya’s best interest.

As the feelings of helplessness and anger recede, let us not in Kenya-style “move on” and learn no lessons from this painful experience. We need to accept certain realities. One, we did not defeat the terrorists; at least not in their eyes. We definitely reduced their intended impact but let’s not use our standards of success to define their defeat. Whereas I am not an expert on what makes a terror network tick, I suspect that four days of endless news and commentaries by all local and international news channels is a fairly good achievement, if you are seeking publicity, however diabolical. They will be back, buoyed by their “success”.

Two, whereas conventional protections from terror attacks will not prevent the most determined of terrorists, they are nevertheless essential. That check-in the-boots of our cars and the annoying beeps from the askari’s handheld metal detectors is however not it.

We need to take the security issue seriously, and on this one I suggest a tutorial from the Ugandans. My most shocking experience with the laxity of our security services was on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s inauguration day when I walked literally up to where the visiting Presidents and dignitaries were to sit without a single security check. I was so dismayed I left the stadium.

I have several thoughts on other areas that require review. One is the increased investment in Intelligence gathering and ensuring the credibility of our Intelligence.

America’s success in the anti-terror war has been driven by an unrelenting investment in Intelligence gathering. The recent Snowden scandal leaves no doubt that when it comes to Intelligence, the Americans don’t even respect their own constitutional protections. It is also clear that the government does not always take Intelligence information seriously. Is this because the Intelligence community also peddles a lot of pedestrian political rumours to government? Our Intelligence services must be so credible that any report of impending attacks is taken seriously.

In this Intelligence gathering initiative, our best allies must be the Kenyan Somali community. I can almost bet that some in that community were aware of the activities of the Westgate terrorists, that level of planning required local support. Let us learn again from the Americans; in Minneapolis where the majority of American Somalis live, the greatest source of anti-extremist Intelligence is the local Somali community that considers itself an integral part of Minnesota.

Finally we must continually invest in hope for our young people. Many of the young terrorists who have been indoctrinated are victims of hopelessness. This may not justify their actions, but it explains it. The government is doing well with programmes like Uwezo and other youth focused programmes, but we are still far from Canaan. Our youth is our greatest asset, but if not well invested, will lead to our greatest losses.