Law enforcement laxity is to blame for tragedies happening in our country
Kenya as a country never seizes to surprise us with each passing day. Strange things continue to happen on a daily basis that leaves us more intrigued about our law enforcement officers. Many strange things happen that arouse the public outcry from various quarters and trigger panic reactions from the authority to quell down the noises. Once these noises of decent have calmed down and subsided and those in authority are seen to be taking the appropriate action, things are once again forgotten and the authority falls back to slumber until another episode occurs. Well, this is what Kenya is made of and I assume each country has its own antics and drama.
Just to highlight but a few, is the recent Fort Ternan accident in Kericho that claimed the lives of fifty-eight passengers travelling from Nairobi to Kakamega on the ill-fated un-roadworthy Home Boyz bus. The police were blamed for failing to conduct road checks and restrain the bus from travelling while others diverted their blame on the poor state of the road. This accident of high magnitude elicited public outcry from angry Kenyans and as was expected, the government swung into full force to identify and come up with mechanisms that would help avoid such incidents of road carnage in future. They swore to leave no stone unturned as always. What we see now is the “reintroduction” of the famous Michuki rules as if they had been scrapped off from the traffic act. The police are in a frenzy mood to re-enforce them as if it is something new. Where were they all this while? Does it mean that they had no idea that road users where flouting traffic rules?
Another episode is the recent demolitions of illegal structures constructed on riparian land. The country witnessed high profile buildings that took years and a lot of manpower to build crumble down in a few hours as though it was nothing. The relevant authorities were seen in a panic mood to heed the president’s decree that all illegal structures should be brought down. The question still is where were they all these years while the buildings were being put up? You see, this has quickly been forgotten and things are slowly returning to normalcy as if nothing ever happened.
Just a few months ago, we saw the Solai Dam catastrophe in Nakuru; where the dam burst and claimed the lives of forty seven residents. When noises reached a crescendo, the government swore to deal firmly with the people responsible. The affected families where assured of quick compensation and experts graced our TV stations with new recommendations that would help avert such calamities in future. All this has however been quickly forgotten and wiped aside; the victims have been left to face their own problems and fend for themselves as if nothing ever happened. No one even remembers them anymore.
These, however, are not the only incidents that force the government into action. Sometimes back, we saw the Garissa massacre where terrorists invaded Garissa University and sprayed bullets on innocent students. Then there was the Mpeketoni attack; later the West Gate siege right in the middle of our capital city. Such attacks are still happening but remain quite due to the low magnanimity of the people killed or injured. Until it blows out of proportion thanks to the media, the government goes silent.
We should stop being taken for a ride by the government. The executive and government should be made aware that we are not genuine pigs to be used for research purposes whenever an incident occurs. These knee-jerk reactions always employed whenever a calamity strikes are outdated and out of test. Kenyans are now more informed and demand for long lasting solutions that withstand the office holder and the test of time. The biggest problem facing us is that once a person of reforms leaves office either through death (like Michuki deed) or their own volition, everything from policies, structures and invention the person had put in place or started dies with him. These should come to an end immediately.
By,
Titiya Ommilah
Freelance Writer.