How Kenya’s security system is caught off guard by terrorists

'High alert' is a phrase often bandied about when police want to show they are on top of a threat.

But the reality is vigilance is only heightened when the country is hit by al Shabaab or is likely to be hit, such as during the holidays, when Kenyans mass together at holiday spots.

Once the situation normalises, security agencies tend to relax, even though terrorists have spread their tentacles beyond soft targets in Northeastern to urban areas like Nairobi, such as the dusitD2 attack last January.

Apparently, not many precautions have been taken to prevent attacks in shopping malls, social places, bus parks, worship centres and matatu termini.

A spot check by the Star in Nairobi and Nakuru towns found laxity not only among police officers but also the general public.

Most of the saccos involved in the public transport sector no longer inspect the goods their customers board their vehicles with.

This applies to nearly all public service vehicles operating in Nairobi’s downtown, especially in stages in Tom Mboya, Ronald Ngala, Afya Centre and River Road.

Even in the high-traffic Machakos Country Bus, frisking and inspection of travellers' luggage are no longer conducted in most of the vehicles.

There are, however, a few operators of the business, like Easy Coach and Linear Bus Services, who are keen on frisking passengers and conducting searches on their bags.

ONLY FARE MATTERS

Basically, passengers get to the termini with their belongings, pay for their travelling tickets and the vehicles take off.

The stages have heaps of luggage and lots of matatu touts, with hundreds of vehicles picking passengers to various destinations.

When this reporter boarded a Nakuru town-bound matatu shuttle from Nairobi on January 21 on a fact-finding mission, the situation was no different.

A list was passed to all the 13 passengers on board to sign with their details, including names, phone and seat numbers. Then the matatu left the city at around 10.30am, without any inspection.

There was no conductor aboard the matatu. Passengers paid their transport fares at the sacco’s office. Touts only entice potential passengers to board the various vehicles plying the route.

It went through several police barriers but was never inspected in any. The first barrier from the city was erected along Waiyaki Way next to Kabete police station. The officers who flagged down the vehicle never inspected it. It stopped briefly and sped off.

Some of the passengers did not belt up, despite the recent stern warnings from Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai.

During the festive season in December, Mutyambai warned that passengers would be held responsible for flouting traffic offences, either by failing to belt up or being an excess passenger in an overloaded public service vehicle.

There was no inspection whatsoever when the matatu got to Nakuru. Every passenger dropped with his or her luggage, without any interference.

PUBLIC PLACES NO DIFFERENT

In most of the shopping malls, clubs and open-air markets, including those selling their wares along the streets in the two towns, the public interacted freely, without any frisking or inspection of their luggage.

In pubs and clubs, revellers do all manner of things without being questioned by anybody. The reporter visited several of them in Nairobi, including those in downtown. No frisking or search on luggage, just the usual drinking and merrymaking.

The question is, with Kenya's history of terror attacks, does this laxity not compromise the country’s security?

The situation is the same in most worship centres in Nairobi. Faithful are no longer frisked while getting into their respective churches, mosques and temples.

A few churches have security checks, including Deliverance in Nairobi’s Donholm estate visited by this writer on January 26. Faithful are frisked and their luggage checked by private guards at the entrance.

Things are also different in some of the popular shopping malls, high-end hotels and bus stations.

Security has remained intense in some three, four and five-star hotels in Nairobi, where frisking and searches of clients, their property and vehicles are thoroughly conducted before one gains access.

Most of the security guards hired to man the premises belong to the most credible security firms in the city. Some also hire the services of police officers to re-enforce their internal security.

CHRISTMAS VIGILANCE

The situation is different during the December festive season. There are lots of security precautions among Kenyans across the country.

“Yes, it is true there is laxity among citizens, this is our culture as Kenyans,” said a police officer who did not wish to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the press.

“We tend to forget when things seem to be alright, only becoming careful when we are attacked by criminals, including militia groups.”

He said it is upon individual investors to organise for their premises’ safety and ensure basic checks like frisking and property checks.

Nairobi regional police boss Philip Ndolo admitted various stakeholders in security provision let their guard down. He said it was out of “human nature”.

“Towards Christmas, we had a series of meetings with stakeholders who help us in fighting crime and told them our expectations,” Ndolo told the Star.

“There was zero crime reported in Nairobi during the festive season since all the stakeholders heeded our advice and remained alert.”

The stakeholders, he said, included those in the transport industry, hoteliers, club managers, bouncers and private security guards.

Ndolo said all the stakeholders were told to thoroughly frisk their clients and search luggage before allowing them to access premises, whether in vehicles or social places.

However, he noted that the seriousness on compliance has gone down, as most stakeholders no longer frisk and conduct the searches. 

Edited by T Jalio