Security measures that would prevent another ‘Kapedo’

Security has highly deteriorated in the recent past and it needs no rocket science to ascertain this.

I do not dispute the fact that security has become a major challenge to most countries especially with the terrorism menace but as a nation and as taxpayers, we must demand accountability and deliverance of the same.

Insecurity is a major hindrance to an economy’s growth. No matter how much we invest in other sectors but ignore the security sector, then our economy will continue to record a stagnant growth.

Investors will start to look for more secure areas and or countries.

The education sector also suffers a major blow courtesy of insecurity as can be witnessed in the North Eastern areas of the country.

Solutions to insecurity in the country in my opinion include these:

1. Massive investment in intelligence

Our intelligence is normally caught unawares with the incidences that have been witnessed in the recent past.

Heavy investment in intelligence would have perhaps prevented the happenings in Baragoi, Kapedo, Mpeketoni, Mandera and Muchai’s murder.

Intelligence’s main duty is to be proactive rather than reactive which seems to be the opposite.

The government should therefore invest a lot of resources in the sector especially the human resource.

b)    Need for proper, adequate, special training

The world has evolved tremendously and so is the security sector. The police needs special modern training rather than the ‘indigenous’ training to be at par with the modern complexities in the security sector.

Several attacks targeted at our security officers especially in Baragoi, Kapedo and cattle rustling prone areas would have been avoided with proper, adequate and special training.

c)    Making community policing a reality

A lot of Wananchi are still skeptical about community policing. The lack of trust of the public towards the police is still rife.

They are afraid of reporting to the security agencies in fear of retaliation. A case in point is where some Masaai elders were arrested after reporting a cattle theft incidence.

The Ethiopian security agencies have given their citizens a reason to trust them thus there is low level of outside attacks if any.

Our security agencies need to take note of the above to realize a high security level.