TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013

Westgate probe: Could it be Uhuru doesn't want to embarrass the military?

A photo taken on September 30, 2013 showing part of the Westgate Mall that caved in during the military operation. The disaster operations outfit could safely be disbanded, and in its place could come a powerful national security and disaster command centre, a kind of Homeland Security unit with real functions and responsibilities. PHOTO|FILE

A photo taken on September 30, 2013 showing part of the Westgate Mall that caved in during the military operation. The disaster operations outfit could safely be disbanded, and in its place could come a powerful national security and disaster command centre, a kind of Homeland Security unit with real functions and responsibilities. PHOTO|FILE 

In Summary

  • It is highly probable that he would not want to expose his top security officials to a process of public inquiry that would reveal to the world the tragic incompetence and ego battles that gave Al-Shabaab terrorists more mileage than they could ever have dreamed of.
  • To be effective the command centre would have to be senior to the military, the police, and the intelligence services when called upon to coordinate an inter-agency response to future Westgates.
By Macharia Gaitho
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We have waited more than a month for President Uhuru Kenyatta to appoint a Commission of Inquiry into the Westgate Shopping Mall terrorist attack.

The longer we wait, the more unlikely, it seems, that the president intends to honour his promise to the nation.

Perhaps the Head of State has had a rethink.

It is highly probable that he would not want to expose his top security officials to a process of public inquiry that would reveal to the world the tragic incompetence and ego battles that gave Al-Shabaab terrorists more mileage than they could ever have dreamed of.

The president may not want to embarrass his security chiefs, and nor would he want their failings put on display for all the world to see, including those who wish us harm and would be on the lookout for chinks in the armour they could exploit.

But it is unclear at this stage whether the president is just being judiciously prudent, or whether he is scared of offending the bemedalled men in uniform who carry all the big guns.

In the past few weeks since the story of heroic exploits at Westgate unravelled, we have been preoccupied with sad tales of looting soldiers; but in the process been diverted from the more serious issues.

The closer I look at what went wrong, the more I am persuaded that a major failing was in the collapse of civilian oversight, coupled with the lack of centralised command as rival security units duelled for glory.

One big lesson from Westgate must be the security structures that must be put in place to respond to future attacks.

It is evident now that calling in the military, which is usually a last resort, was premature. How that decision was arrived at calls for urgent review.

The Kenya Defence Forces came in to take charge of the operation with heavy guns blazing and riding roughshod over the Kenya Police Service units that are better trained for such operations and that had already cornered the terrorists.

The military may be ideal fighting Al-Shabaab deep inside Somalia and defending our borders against external aggressors, but in domestic situations, they must always be kept on a tight leash.

The generals may well welcome every opportunity to display their firepower, but their armoured cars, anti-tank missiles and all kinds of howitzers might not work very well in a shopping mall.

When the president sought to mediate between the security bosses on the first day of the terrorist attack, he announced that Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo would be in charge of the Westgate operation. But the KDF under General Julius Karangi were to carry out the actual assault.

General Karangi must have been purring like the proverbial Cheshire Cat because somebody neglected to inform President Kenyatta that the military does not take orders from the police, whom they look down upon as mere civilians.

The upshot was the military took charge; with the police boss and National Intelligence Service chief Michael Gichangi being reduced to mere by-standers, hapless Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku merely echoing prompts from the military chiefs, and Defence Secretary Raychelle Omamo mute in the periphery.

Lost in the whole imbroglio was some unit called the Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre.

The unit headed by a military colonel based at the Office of the President is tasked with managing and coordinating all manner of national disaster responses.

This might include terrorist attacks like Westgate, or natural calamities like floods and tempests.

I think they have surrendered their role to the Kenya Red Cross, being more present on the Twittersphere than in any actual operations.

The disaster operations outfit could safely be disbanded, and in its place could come a powerful national security and disaster command centre, a kind of Homeland Security unit with real functions and responsibilities.

To be effective the command centre would have to be senior to the military, the police, and the intelligence services when called upon to coordinate an inter-agency response to future Watergates, sorry, Westgates.

mgaitho@ke.nationmedia.com