Police must act on media exposes

By Peter Wanyonyi

Kenya is seeking to become a 24-hour economy and this seems to be rubbing off onto our collective social memory.

Even the most astonishing revelations are quickly overshadowed by news or other distractions within 24 hours because we rapidly move on to new non-issues as soon as the 9pm news is done.

This is a characteristic of a society uncomfortable with itself, one which would rather quickly forget whatever unsavoury things get revealed every now and then. But it is getting ridiculous.

Last year, a popular KTN investigative journalist made astonishing allegations and revelations about drug dealing in the country. He adduced evidence, named names, places and events, and showed pictures and video clips. The police spokesman shrugged and everything was quietly forgotten.

But bad people never go away. They just keep coming back and giving society pain in the wrong places. Now the same TV programme has made even more incredible allegations about the death of Prof George Saitoti, who died in a helicopter crash last year.

The usual tut-tutting followed the expose, but one can see that this is already quietly fading into the collective distant memory of our society. The Inspector General of police is more interested in demonstrators.

This is a shame. Mr Kimaiyo, no one is going to give you teeth on a silver platter.  Flex your fangs and, for once, get to the bottom of these allegations.