BUDGET SPEECH: THE SIDESHOWS BY KENYA POLICE

In December 2007, which is just 6 (six) months ago, our leaders and politicians, including the President, Vice President and the Prime Minister were all over the country mingling and interconnecting with the common folk (wananchi) in search of votes. Mwananchi was king then and all of them needed his nod to get power. Tables have turned now and mwananchi is no longer the much sought after kingmaker. Our leaders have now become venerable and perhaps invincible too. Whenever they assemble in parliament (August House), mwananchi has to be kept away from them, using the most vicious method. Armed police on horse back or in riot gear and others manning menacing police canines (dogs) are used to close Parliament Road, Harambee Avenue and all other adjacent roads and lanes creating a real mess. The area is normally closed to ordinary human and vehicular traffic and becomes reminiscent of a mini-combat zone. All this is done to create a false sense of security for our HONOURABLE leaders. Judging by their comments, it is obvious that ordinary citizens do not get amused with these frolics by the police.

Anybody who has basic training in the protection of terrestrial installations and corporeal entities knows that isolation of a probable target creates more insecurity than security. An isolated target is easier to hit and exterminate. Isolating politicians from the masses does not make them any safer, if anything, the seclusion accentuates the social crevice between the two groups and becomes a source of contempt in the long run. It is never in the interest of any political leadership to extract contempt from its following. It is for this reason that somebody needs to tell the Commissioner of Police that it is wrong to close Parliament and Harambee roads and their adjacent lanes to human and vehicular traffic just because the President or the Prime Minister is in the vicinity or because parliament is in session. These leaders need the mwananchi more than he needs them and 5 (five) years is not such a long time!