Kenya: The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has asked top security officials to resign following the Sunday night gun attack in Mpeketoni that left more than 48 dead.
KNCHR and other lobby groups asked Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku and the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo to take political responsibility for the second bloodiest attack after the Westgate raid.
Addressing the Press Monday at their offices in Nairobi, the Commission Vice Chairperson George Morara flanked by the other members of KNCHR asked the President to hold accountable senior officers in the security sector.
“We would like to call on the President to have Lenku resign from his position and also Kimaiyo as a sign of political responsibility for the security lapses,” said Morara. He said the security incidents were unacceptable for Kenyans as it is the Government’s duty to secure people and they had failed.
“As Kenyans, we have the right to our security and we are telling the President that we want our country back as we are being held hostage in our own country,” he said.
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Getting out of hand
The commission also pointed out that the crisis was not only in terms of terror attacks but also the general security as operations such as Usalama Watch had proved ineffective.
“The way matters of security are handled calls to question the effectiveness of the Government’s response including the operation Usalama Watch. The State’s response to insecurity is ad hoc and the operations put in place have violated human rights,” said Morara.
Also speaking during the press conference, George Kegoro from the International Commission of Jurists in Kenya also pointed out that the Government needed to address security issues in a tangible manner as the matter was getting out of hand.
“The State needs to do something tangible for a change as governments exist to assure people of their security. We have been silent on security issues for very long,” said Kegoro.
The commission has now stated that it plans to present a petition to the National Assembly asking MPs to set up a public inquiry into the recent security lapses.
Through the inquiry the commission wants the recommendations on the underlying causes on insecurity and measures to be taken in response to these with a clear implementation mechanism.
