Give police proper equipment ahead of polls

Not all insecurity problems bedevilling the country are connected to the March 4 General Election. Thus, to draw a direct line between one conflict or another and the upcoming presidential contest would be wrong, unless there is good reason to think the dynamics of both are linked. There may well be reason to be concerned and vigilant. After all, given the high stakes some of our leaders place on the outcome of the next election, many such situations may be exploited by the disaffected.

But, as even the most alarmist observer will concede, violence in the vein of the 2007 and 2008 chaos is not inevitable. Following the post-election violence of 2007, Kenyans agreed on a roadmap to peace that included short-term measures, like creating a transitional Grand Coalition and dealing with crimes committed in the period, and longer term goals like resolving historical injustices, securing the reform agenda and handling the land question. Some progress has been made on the long-term issues, known as ‘Agenda Four’ items in the National Reconciliation Accord. But, a great deal remains to be done.

However, it has always been clear to all that the process of dealing with many of the more intractable problems we face as a nation would take more than the five years allocated to the life of the Grand Coalition. This coming election and perhaps one or two to follow will be conducted with the unfinished business of Kenya’s complicated past hanging over everyone’s head like the Sword of Damocles. However, proof of progress on key reform issues means this need not be cause for undue alarm.

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released this week warns that Government’s failure to conduct needed reforms puts Kenya at risk for election-related violence. The 58-page report, ‘High Stakes: Political Violence and the 2013 Elections in Kenya,’ points to inter-communal clashes that have claimed more than 477 lives and displaced about 118,000 people in the last one year. Many of these incidents have been linked to pre-election manoeuvring as politicians mobilise support. According to HRW officials, the police and other authorities have repeatedly failed to prevent violence or hold those responsible to account.

While this is true to some extent, it portends mostly the likelihood of localised and isolated violence. The hotspots in which this is expected have been identified, improving chances of limiting it. While the pace of reform is not as brisk as desired, one might say a tipping point has been reached in which public faith is stronger than in 2007, significantly lowering risk of organised violence.

The greatest threat posed by insecurity challenges in this season may well be the demand they exert on the limited resources of the Police Service at a time when every man and woman in uniform is needed to ensure a smooth election. This is certain to be a difficult planning challenge for the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security and his team.

 Thus, the resolve by Cabinet, after a meeting on Thursday, to address the security challenges posed by political campaigns, criminal gangs and bandits, stands out as a sensible first step to keeping Kenyans safe. Roping in all institutions at the Government’s disposal will be critical, especially in ensuring the police do not fail at their task because they are overextended or poorly served by other bodies with better intelligence about impending incidents.

Finally, the environment in which Kenya is conducting its coming election is also a factor in whether there will be trouble. The fact that four Kenyans face trial at the International

Criminal Court will give pause for thought to anyone that would want to instigate violence. Intelligence and security preparations can be counted on to be a deterrent. More importantly, vast proportions of the citizenry are intent on having a peaceful transition.

Their desire informs the stance taken by various stakeholders, including this media house, which this week launched ‘The Stand’, a drive for a clean, peaceful election. In the face of such public goodwill, there is ample reason for optimism.