I hate elections and elections years! already as expected for each election year, the security aparatus has collapsed. basically normally during an election year everything collapses. the day that the two americans were gunned down , i was at nairobi hospital. in fact when i arrived, they had just been brought and there was heavy american presence . the presence was so heavy that normal operations were paralysed. it took 3 hrs for the doc to see me. i was told they were busy tending to the dead americans. a sombre mood engulfed the entire hospital. one thing i remember the doctors whispering to me is that she found it sad that someone should die without being sick. and that our security was really bad. i felt a lot of concern i her voice and thought that kenyans had woken up to the fact that security and other things are really need urgent attention.
eventualy i got to see the doc and got my medicine and left.
in the evening news, the minister for internal security was on adressing several provincial admin officers. i moved closer hopeful that he would utter those magic words but no. he was telling the chiefs to toe the govt line! that they must reciprocate by making sure that govt critics did not have their way. such a big oportunity to reign in on criminals had just passed. in fact since thugs some as young as 14 years started killing police officers and robbing pple by the day, the hon minister has said nothing. even the head of state has said nothing, not even the police commisioner. and now last evening, those thugs killed one of the leading researchers on HIV/AIDS. i still dont know if the kenyan govt knows what we have just lost due to insensitivity to administration by allowing young pple to play around with guns like that. bt its really worrying. when kibaki was campaigning, he promised security of kenyans to be top priority. well it doesnt matter anymore, the old man is such a liar that he denies every thing he ever said.
but wait what did kenyans think? if a man can lie to his own friends and collegues how much more can he lie to those he doesnt even know. the pumbavus? in fact i know that an unwritten law among men is never to betray a felow man and never to renege on a gentlmans agreement . this law carries the same weight as never touching a a friends wife!
in fact due to the elections, the NSE has really taken a beating and i suspect that if safaricom is floated this year in this situation then the float may not be good. a friend from one of the brokers hinted to me that they are lobbying the president to call early elections so that we can go on with our money making lives! apperently most brokers have it cast on stone that kibaki will get reelected so the sooner he gets his reelectionthe better for the bourse.
for me whichever way, i would like this election thing to pass before we all perish
I think kenya has reached or passed the gun related crime like down in South Africa. Murder, carjack, rape, drugs, kidnap was the order of the day when i lived in SA for 6years up till 2001. Mr Kibaki has decided not say anything about the seriousness of this matter. What is the Internal security minister and the police commisioner saying? Maybe its the high time they brought in a more powerful force like the Army, GSU, Immigration, the Airforce to clean up all this mess.
ReplyDeleteThe song went like this "jambo, jambo bwana habari gani? mzuri sana, wageni mwakaribishwa KENYA YETU HAKUNA MATATA..." Right now, KUNA MATATA SANA, CHUNGU MZIMA. People are dropping dead like flies. If no one in power does nothing about the state of insecurity in the country, I bet you most hotel will start counting loss and some foreign based companies will close shop and move out.
ReplyDeleteThat is very thought provoking. Maybe private security companies might be a way to go since they can be so adaptable to quick changes in social climate.
ReplyDeleteGenerally speaking most governemnts, I think, are slow to change-some would say even incapable. Maybe its the institution which fosters beaurocracy and not the leaders, I don't know....
if you read the story of the shooting that happened along isinya road the other day, you are left lost for words. but i believe this is a simple case of will power lacking on the part of the internal security team. and indeed the criminals know that when election approaches the team relaxes and they can have their orgy of violence. the govt is busy watching the steps of the oposition anyway. but this is sad since the gains in economic growth will be reversed. i know crime is a world wide concern but at least is certain countries like SA. you know the no go zones and you know that as long as you avoid them you are fine. Not in kenya. everywhere down here is a no go zone during such times and you are neither safe in your house nor in your car. its like an iraq of sorts!
ReplyDeletethis is happening at a time when we are getting ready to benefit from the migration being declared 7th wonder of the world!