Brave men, women whose quick action saved many from death

Three terror incidents have been reported in the last two days, one of them fatal. On Sunday morning, an object suspected to be a bomb was discovered aboard a French airliner heading to Paris from Mauritius. The aircraft was consequently forced to land at Moi International Airport in Mombasa.

Next, 200 people were evacuated from a Catholic church in Kutus, Kirinyaga County, after a home-made bomb was discovered hidden under the pews.

And yesterday, Muslim passengers on a bus ambushed by suspected Al Shabaab gunmen saved non-Muslims from the jaws of death in Mandera County. The Muslims reportedly refused to be separated from their Christians breathren and told the militants to kill them all. One person was shot dead in the melee.

In essence, the three incidents are a grim reminder that the threat of terrorism is alive and well and hangs over our heads like the sword of Damocles. But the incidents also have a vital lesson for us all on how to react when terrorism suddenly bares its ugly face.

It is noteworthy that in the three cases, which happened in different parts of the country, many lives were saved because of the decisions that were taken by individuals. Although some suspect it could have been a hoax, the decision to land the aircraft was taken after a passenger reported that he had found an explosive in the lavatory. If it was a bomb, many lives - there were 459 passengers and 14 crew on board - would have been lost. If anything, the case of Russia’s Metrojet airliner, which is suspected to have been brought down by terrorists in October killing 224 people, is still fresh in our minds.

In Kutus, catastrophe was averted when an eagle-eyed worshiper spotted the improvised explosive device and immediately alerted a police officer, who had also attended the morning mass, prompting the evacuation of worshipers.

Mandera brotherhood

And then there is the wonderful Mandera story of brotherhood where Kenyans are said to have told suspected Al Shabaab militants that they were ready to die with their fellow Kenyans.

In all the incidents, the right decisions were made in the nick of time. If every Kenyan reacted like this when confronted by terrorism or anything akin to terrorism, many lives would be saved. For the umpteenth time, security agencies have admonished Kenyans to be vigilant to help stave off the threat of terror. And according to police, citizens’s tips have been most helpful from Nairobi to Mandera and Garissa.

But we need to be even be more vigilant especially at this time when the authorities have warned that 11 Al Shabaab militants have sneaked into the country and are planning to launch attacks during the festive season.

We must all open our eyes wider and report anybody or anything suspicious to the police, or take any other appropriate action like the three wise men we have just discussed, to avert a bloodbath.

More importantly, security agencies should also up their game if we are to win the war and bottle up the monster that is terrorism. They must bolster their intelligence and avoid the kind of slow response that was witnessed during the Lamu and Garissa attacks, or the disorganisation that bogged down their operations at Westgate.