Ghost of 2007 poll returns to haunt Ali

The Task Force on Police Reforms handed over its interim report to President Kibaki last week in a low key ceremony.

Initial press reports indicate that knives have been drawn for Police Commissioner Hussein Ali and other senior officers who may soon be forced to walk the proverbial plank.

There are certain forces in the country’s leadership that are opposed to Major General Ali and would love to condemn and ultimately sacrifice him.

History, however, will bear him out as ethnic hatred was fanned by the very same politicians towards the run up to the 2007 General Election.

By the time the disputed election results were released, the bottled up tensions erupted into anarchy and violence accompanied by looting and arson in major cities.

Rail and road transport were disrupted as were other services. Robbery and rape were the order of the day as law and order broke down.

A hitherto unknown vicious and anarchical force appeared to be taking over the country. Kenyans were paralysed by fear and foreign missions began evacuating their nationals.

Unprecedented situation

The whole situation was unprecedented and the nation turned to the police force under the command of Ali for protection.

Ali was faced with two challenging options. The first was to let the nation disintegrate into anarchy or to restore law and order by whatever means necessary. He chose the latter.

That lives were lost in the process is regrettable yet the alternative was too horrible to contemplate. Ali was not faced with a high school riot. This was an armed, well-financed full-scale insurrection complete with the support, intelligence and logistics of ex-military and police personnel backed by murderous crowds.

The country was severely polarised and even some serving officers took sides with their own when they ought to have remained neutral. Some of the leaders now shouting loudest actually called on their supporters to secede.

Ali’s biggest error may be in not arresting and charging them with treason. As a result their ‘ghosts’ have returned to haunt him and may eventually see him off into retirement.

However, Ali’s presence in office at that time in our history and being of Somali extraction turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It would have been a different kettle of fish had the commissioner been Luo, Kikuyu or Kalenjin.

The epicentres of the violence were Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu and as a consequence, the fatalities were higher in these areas. It had absolutely nothing to do with Ali’s command.

The Government has in the past built up the dubious reputation of being a thankless employer that dismissed its senior officials through casual radio announcements prior to their retirement date. We trust that it will not happen to Ali, who had a wonderful career in the army prior to being seconded to the police.

This is a man who deserves a medal and promotion for dedication to duty. A third star to Lieutenant General, an EGH and return to the military barracks would be in order as it would assuage even his fiercest detractors.

{Daudi Mwenda, Nairobi}