More needs to be done to assure Kenyans of security

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) moved into Somalia in October 2011 with the express purpose of annihilating the Al-Shabaab insurgents.

Whereas they drove them out of their strongholds and restored a semblance of order in Somalia, it is apparent they only succeeded in winning the battle for control of key geographical locations in Somalia but the war is still on.

Al-Shabaab has not been intimidated in any way and instead have brought the war to Kenya, where they operate with impunity.

It is sad that our security forces have been reduced to collecting bodies and trying to play catch up; a very worrisome situation.

On Saturday, terrorists stopped a bus in Mandera County, segregated passengers on the basis of their religion and shot dead at least 28 of them.

Consequent pronouncements by the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo and the Cabinet Secretary for Internal Security Joseph ole Lenku belie the Government's stale promises of enhancing security.

When Mr ole Lenku tells the country that the army had destroyed a training camp of the Al-Shabaab inside Somalia which they knew about for a long time, the question that comes to mind is; why did the security forces wait for Kenyans to die before acting?

Today, the entire coastal strip is experiencing a paralysis that is inexorably killing tourism, the economic mainstay of the region.

Tourism at the Coast has died and tourist hotels are closing by the day, compounding the problem of unemployment as more and more redundancy is declared.

Shops have closed and residents live in fear of the radical youth, the Al-Shabaab and the security forces patrolling the streets, for all of them are known for their violence.

Only last week, the Government went to great lengths to woo foreign investors by calling a conference at which the President announced that his Government was relaxing some of the stringent rules for doing business in the country and removing the bottlenecks that inhibit the ease of doing business.

These efforts will not bear fruit if insecurity continues to be a challenge. No multinationals will invest their hard-earned money in a country where bandits terrorise  the country by day and by night.

The much-touted and envisaged double digit growth of the economy as promised by the Jubilee-led Government will remain a mirage should the current trend of uncertainty continues.

The question remains: how can Kenyans take the Government seriously on its pledge to provide security when, in view of the atrocities committed by Al-Shabaab, the Kenya-Somalia border is not under constant military surveillance and regular army patrols, yet there is no shortage of soldiers in the barracks?

Who are they protecting?

From what seems to be a dire and worsening situation, it is easy to conclude that the security apparatus is in the wrong hands.

This calls for radical surgery to remedy the situation before things gets out of hand.