Nic Cheeseman, director of the African Studies Centre at Oxford University, said Kenyans were worried that the government appeared more concerned about making political capital out of the Al Shabaab threat than tackling the problem head on.
“For a lot of people, that [Kenyatta’s response to Mpeketoni] has completely distorted the debate away from where it should be – which is capacity, ability to respond, quality of information on the ground – to a sort of political game,” Cheeseman said. “Do they [the authorities], behind the scenes, know that it is al-Shabaab and they are working on that? Or are they investing more of their money in dealing with the domestic opposition than they are with Al Shabaab?”
SHORTCOMINGS STILL TO BE ADDRESSED
Experts say that if the government is serious about reforming its security services and responding to the threat of Al Shabaab, there are several areas it needs to focus on.
The parliamentary inquiry into the Westgate attack identified shortcomings across the police, the military, the intelligence services and various government departments. Among its findings the report referred to a “general laxity and unresponsiveness among the police” in response to terror alerts in Nairobi, as well as widespread indiscipline, particularly within the Kenya Defence Forces.
Closed circuit television footage shot inside the mall during the siege showed soldiers looting shops while they were supposed to be taking control of the building.
Some commentators say the response to subsequent attacks is proof that little has changed in the last 12 months.
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