-Editorial
One of the most precious commodities the police should have, if they are to successfully battle those bent on breaking the law, is credibility. A credible police force leads to high public confidence that the information provided will remain confidential and lead to expected action.
Yet, strange as it might seem, Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo, does not seem to get it, given the incredulous explanation he gave over the weekend following an explosion at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Mr Kimaiyo quickly dismissed claims that the mysterious blast could be the work of a terrorist.
Instead, the police boss credited the blast — that sent customers in a coffee shop scampering and was heard far from the scene — to a loose bulb that had fallen off the roof into a trash bin, causing a fire.
Dubious statement
His statement begs the question; what ignited the fire since light bulbs are not known to do so even after shattering into pieces when they fall on hard surfaces. In this instance, the alleged bulb did not even fall on a hard surface!
The other question that begs answers is why there was no car on stand by that could have given chase to the vehicle that drove past a police barrier. The second question is why the police did not have a communication gadget that would have enabled them to alert their colleagues on patrol to intercept the car that was fleeing with gaping bullet holes and deflated tyres.
But even before the situation deteriorated to that level, it seems hard to believe that the police, who were supposedly on high alert were nowhere to be found between the restaurant where the explosion occurred and the exit gate so soon after the mysterious fire caused extensive damages at the airport.
Just what is going on at JKIA is hard to fathom.
