FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

We try to point out the faults in the regime because we want it to succeed

Tourists watch a herd of Wildebeest run through a field during the annual wildebeest migration through the Massai Mara National Park. Kenya is eyeing South Africa in its mission to increase tourist arrivals from the continent. PHOTO/FILE

Tourists watch a herd of wildebeest run through a field during the annual wildebeest migration through the Maasai Mara National Park. "We attack and insult the West, and then complain when their citizens don't visit. What do we expect?" PHOTO/FILE 

In Summary

  • We have a real security crisis, despite all the name-calling. Even the President's personal security has been expensively upgraded as the rest of us sort ourselves out.
  • We have been told lies about this Anglo Leasing "skunk," which now marks this regime. We know from Fitch, the rating agency, that our credit rating wouldn't have been affected for refusing to pay.
By Maina Kiai
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It is amusing when die-hard supporters of the regime get all vitriolic against criticisms of the actions and omissions of the regime. And often, rather than considering the message, they focus on the messenger.

The most common attack is that critics are lackeys of foreign powers. How patronising! It assumes that Kenyans can't think for themselves and only do what they are told.

So let us say it loud and clear: Kenya needs this regime to succeed. One need not like or support it. Its successes, or failures, will affect all Kenyans, not just its die-hard supporters.

All Kenyans — critics and sycophants alike — want to live in a secure environment, where terrorism is managed and contained well.

Kenya is not unique as a target for terror attacks. But the management and handling of terrorism is so bad that we are losing confidence in the state's ability to protect us.

So when they try outdated colonial-era ethnic profiling as a solution, we become less secure. We wonder why they spend so much of the massive (and almost unaccountable) intelligence budget on surveillance of critics, civil society and parliamentarians rather than on preventing terrorism.

The job of the National Intelligence Service should not be monitoring of dissent. It should be on real violent threats that affect Kenyans, not the regime!

We have a real security crisis, despite all the name-calling. Even the President's personal security has been expensively upgraded as the rest of us sort ourselves out.

But to resolve this crisis needs creative and tough approaches that address both the architecture and software of our security systems.

And the key is the public and transparent commission of inquiry into Westgate and other terror attacks which was promised, then unceremoniously nixed as soon as it was announced, clearly to protect some sacred cows.

EMPTY STATEMENTS OF REGRET

As long as protecting a few is more important than protecting the country — Somalis included — we will not resolve the insecurity problem.

So, too, with corruption and waste: Nothing hurts this country more. It weakens our security, encourages impunity, increases tribalism, and deprives us of resources that could lift many out of poverty.

And it makes every public appointment a vicious tribal battle ground.

Kenyans need corruption to end, but the blatant and insulting return of Anglo-Leasing signals the official rejection of our new Constitution.

Never mind the empty statements of regret about how "tough" it was to decide to pay out our taxes to corruption. Regret will only be real if this money is paid back to us by those who facilitated and benefited from the scam and when heads roll.

We have been told lies about this Anglo Leasing "skunk," which now marks this regime. We know from Fitch, the rating agency, that our credit rating wouldn't have been affected for refusing to pay.

And as David Ndii eloquently states, the investors who invest in Kenyan Euro Bonds — which could have been floated on our own Nairobi Securities Exchange rather than in that western capital of Dublin — already know Kenya well, warts and all.

Similarly, we attack and insult the west, and then complain when their citizens don't visit. What do we expect? Yes we want and need the Chinese, Indian, and Nigerian tourists, but why limit ourselves?

Why not aim for five million tourists and also target the Swedes, the Dutch, the British, the Finns and the Norwegians? Won't we all benefit then?

In fact, it is sycophancy and the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" doctrine that do the most damage to the regime, losing it credibility and legitimacy faster than you can say Hallelujah!

For governing, unlike World Cup football, creates winners or losers in all of us, not just the supporters. (Go, Origi and Belgium!).

mkiai2000@yahoo.com