Kenya: Senate Majority leader Prof. Kithure Kindiki has called on those in charge of security management to take individual responsibility for security lapse in the country.
Kindiki said loss of one life was one too many and seriousness needed to be taken by those entrusted with security matters.
He said it was sad that Kenyans were continually losing lives every day with security officials saying they are doing their best.
“We cannot have Kenyans dying day in day out and every time it happens we are being told that the security officials are working round the clock to solve the issue. It is time to take responsibility.”
Kindiki who was speaking at his Kathwana office in Tharaka Nithi County said it was time for the President to ask for answers from the security managers.
He said this was the right short term solution in restoring order in the security department.
“Kenyans are tired of stories and want answers on who is not performing their duty of keeping the country safe.”
Kindiki said there is need to review the laws and structures that relate to security if the problem of insecurity is to be tackled once and for all.
He emphasized on changing the law to ensure all the security personnel in the country are used to secure the country from internal threat.
“We cannot have huge number of military troops in the barracks being paid when performing very few tasks when the country needs them. If they were diploid to supplement the internal security forces some of the security issues would be tackled.”
The Tharaka Nithi Senator said the law was required to remove the security of tenure on high level appointments within the security management structures for the head of state to have control over them.
Kindiki said that for the President to take full responsibility as the Commander of the armed forces he must be given a free hand to hire and fire officers who do not perform.
“We cannot have top officials in the security management serving for many years without performing and the President cannot do anything about it.”
He said that the ongoing police reforms must go beyond the personnel changes to more sophisticated equipments, review of training and the entire curriculum for a long term solution.
“In the 1980s all police officers were going through the same curriculum in Kiganjo and then depending on their skills they would be posted to various divisions. This, he said made the officers all rounded in intelligence and field operations.”
Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletter
He said today the training is so scattered lowering down the quality of skills acquired by the officers.
“A comprehensive curriculum will ensure an intelligent officer will have ordinary police operational skills, regular police has some intelligence and investigative skills to modernize the security department.”
He said the comprehensive curriculum providing for joint training, modernizing the equipments, providing decent housing and vetting of officers will deliver a police force that can guarantee the national security the country desires.
Kindiki said this will be a gradual change and so people should not lose hope in the reforms that will be achieved as the constitution is implemented.
He has called on all Kenyans to avoid being divided on tribal lines and speak together in one voice in order to find solutions for the country.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join