Parliament ponders forming committee to probe insecurity

NAIROBI, KENYA: Parliament could soon set up a select committee to probe runaway insecurity in the country, a legislator has said.

Tetu MP Ndung'u Gethenji, who chairs the House team on Defence and Foreign Relations, said a special committee was needed to question the disconnect between promises and actual delivery of services to Kenyans.

"After interrogating the security machinery, the commitee will look at all the loopholes that have allowed criminals to organise and sporadically kill Kenyans, including in Lamu and Tana River. It will also recommend how the loopholes can be sealed," he said.

Gethenji said the attack patterns in the two areas had shown it could have taken up to two years to organise the banditry and urged Kenyans not to be quick to judge those heading security agencies.

He said House committees dealing with security feel only a select committee would be able to probe the issues, including failure on the part of the Executive.

Separately, Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi has defended Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku against accusations of incompetence following the ongoing wave of insecurity.

Wamatangi said though the situation is worrying, it was wrong to point accusing fingers at Lenku. He asked Kenyans to give the CS time to fight the menace.