Political analyst and columnist Arnol Maliba insists it is high time Kenyans start asking questions about who is sharing intelligence with the Al-Shabaab terrorist.
Speaking at a local television station, Maliba claimed that the numerous and frequent attacks that are mostly happening to army and police officers, especially on the road, were a result of intelligence leakage to Al-Shabaab.
Maliba claimed that it could be that someone privy to government intelligence is leaking the intelligence to the terrorist group.
“Are they sharing intelligence with sympathizers? Have we allowed people who should not be allowed in spaces that they are in? What exactly are we doing that is allowing this?” Maliba asked.
“The nature of attacks around here especially on hardened and strategic targets like military movements and everything else, now we need to start asking questions like, who is sharing A1 intelligence with these guys?” He added.
Giving a case in point, Maliba said that ‘so many people would pass on a road but all of a sudden only a military truck is blown up’.
According to the political analyst, the attacks on the military by suspected Al Shabaab militants cannot be a coincidence.
Recent Al Shabaab Attacks
The most recent attack happened in Kibaoni, Lamu West Sub-county where a group of between 6 to 30 people attacked the villagers.
The armed gunmen set blaze houses, slit the throats of at least 5 people and also attacked more people, before running back to their hideout in a nearby forest.
About a week before the mentioned incident, 2 soldiers were also killed by suspected Al Shabaab militants when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive, leaving several others injured.
Security loop
Maliba pointed out that historically, the terror group has been lodging attacks whenever there’s a new government.
“Historically, Al Shabaab has taken advantage of a new regime. If you look at the last attacks we had some of them were horrifying, they happened at a time when we had a changeover and we were busy with matters of the home front.”
Maliba added that it was important to realize that governments can change but the state which is at war with Al Shabaab is continuous.
He insisted on the importance of the country realizing that the target doesn’t change even when governments change.
Security begins with you
In his comment about the current security situation in the country, Maliba quoted former President Uhuru Kenyatta who said that ‘security begins with you’.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta said that security begins with you. Even as the government does that, let us also be cautious. Somebody will see. Somebody knows something so as the government does its bit, let us also do our bit to ensure we are safe as a nation,” Maliba said.
Seemingly passionate about the topic, Maliba also remarked that if the nation is not safe even an individual is not.
Solution to Al Shabaab attacks
The columnist, who is also a law expert, noted that Kenya had managed to stem the attacks and that it almost looked like the country had gained normalcy.
However, he cautioned that the threats have always been present.
“We know that somewhere in Somalia there were attacks but our soldiers were at it, but now the attacks coming to our soil, the frequency is a little bit worrying,” Malibu said.
He also said that the attacks have resulted in fear among Kenyans who wonder where the next attack would happen.
Suggesting a solution to the ongoing menace, Maliba said that the country needs to check the progress it has made, how it has gotten to the point and also look at the security loopholes.
“We need to go back and look at probably what we have done that is allowing these particular attacks and how we had worked so hard to ensure this does not happen.”
Maliba also pointed out that the country’s focus on politics and giving less focus on the security threats that have always been in existence is a huge factor that has resulted in the recent frequent attacks.
“We have forgotten that we had this threat with us. We are busy politicking,” Maliba concluded.
