Animals sometimes enter into a state of an apparent
paralysis something we can also refer to as animal hypnosis. This situation is
mostly experienced when the animal is extensively provoked and is in a
defensive mode against exterior threats or when they are plain helpless. This
phenomenon is known as tonic immobility.
The Kenyan security agencies seem to have been grasped by a
tonic immobility in the recent past. This unfortunately will be at the expense
of ignorant and innocent Kenyans. I was vastly perturbed when I recently
watched an investigative article in one of the local TV stations on the
security situation in the country. “Terrorist’s playground” as was the title of
the feature. A well-researched feature on the lax state of our security
agencies.
In a country where bulbs fall from the ceiling and explode
in a dustbin, a country where mattresses explode, I applaud what was done. A
bag was left in a crowded public place for over 4 hours and when the 999
emergency number was called and informed on the issue they took it lightly.
Lightly I say because two hours later nothing had been done and whoever was on
the other side of the line went to the extent of lying that they had sent
patrol officers to the scene.
Another bag was left unattended in an airport for hours,
less than 5 meters from a police officer and he did not raise even an eyebrow.
For this reason I personally believe if our officers are not lazy then their
training is inadequate. If this two reasons do not add up then the only sane
explanation would be that they have been bewitched. That in itself is however a
story for another day.
There has been a lot of mixed
reactions on this article with some Kenyans saying that it can be used against
the country by terrorists to orchestrate an attack. However I believe that
failure to plan is already a plan to fail. If we care about our own security we
should bring the house down, clean the wounds that are not healing and start
afresh. Instead of seeing the negativity of the exposure, we should recommend
ways to better the system. I personally applaud the investigative team at NTV
led by Dennis Okari for the great work. For a people who are free, and who mean
to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security. In our
case the national police service is our armed militia, so let them do what is
necessary by all means necessary to ensure our safety. Then and only then will
we dwell in UNITY, PEACE and LIBERTY.
BY NG’ANG’A KIBIRU