Rapture Man
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 29, 2010
- 439
- 145
Hey JF fans, it's for our good if we 'copy' what our Kenyan neighbors are doing. Read on!
Source: Sabahi Online
By Rajab Ramah in Nairobi
October 22, 2013
Amid scathing criticism over its handling of last month's Westgate mall attack in Nairobi, the Kenyan government is rolling out a neighbourhood policing initiative that aims to protect against future terrorist acts and crime in general.
The government plans to implement the new initiative, known as Nyumba Kumi or "Ten Households", by the end of October, Secretary of Interior and National Co-ordination of National Government Joseph Ole Lenku said.
It calls for dividing neighbourhoods in towns and villages nationwide into clusters of ten households that would help police protect neighbourhoods and guard against terrorist activities.
Tanzania, which established the "ten-cell" concept under former President Julius Nyerere, now is considering revamping the system in a bid to bolster its own security after an al-Shabaab elements were discovered training in the Mtwara region earlier this month.
As Lenku described the initiative for Kenya, occupants of households in each cluster would keep an eye on one another, look out for suspicious activity in their given sector, and share information that could be used for community policing and intelligence gathering. Residents would report back to an appointed group leader, who would serve as a liaison with local authorities.
The initiative also would change the structure of the security system at the village level, where traditional elders or chiefs play a leading role in community policing, Lenku said.
The government has instructed commissioners in all of Kenya's counties to have the system up and running by the end of the month, he said, adding that it will help prevent terrorist threats and reduce crime if properly implemented.
"Members of ten households will be required to know each other's names, what they do for a living and whom they live with. This concept is based on the principle of know your neighbour," Lenku told Sabahi.
In addition, householders would be required to notify their cluster leaders about houseguests, including the purpose and planned duration of their visits.
"Once we plan a security system into units of ten households, people in a certain households will get to know each other and it will be difficult for foreigners who are out to commit crime to live amongst them in hiding," Lenku said.
Meeting with scepticism
But the initiative has some Kenyans expressing concern that it could infringe on people's privacy and constitutional rights.
While describing Nyumba Kumi as having the noble intention of rooting out terrorists and criminals, Mary Omare, a resident of Ongata Rongai on the outskirts of Nairobi, said she doubted that the system could work.
"Kenya is an open society, where any slight government surveillance is challenged, meaning the system will be questioned, and that is how implementation will be frustrated," Omare said, adding that the system can only work in a closed society.
Lawyer Paul Mwangi also warned that Nyumba Kumi could open the door to dictatorship in Kenya by infringing on rights to privacy and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
"Article 36 (2) of the Kenyan constitution states that a person may not be compelled to join an association of any kind," he told Sabahi. "But what this system does is to cluster people together as long as they are called neighbours, and this is where the trouble will begin."
The initiative is an interesting approach to security in light of the Westgate attack, he said, but it encourages Kenyans to spy on one another and the system could be abused for political purposes.
"It can be used as an invaluable tool for political mobilisation and propaganda, which those in authority can opt to use to spy on their political competitors as well," Mwangi said.
From a practical perspective, it would be difficult to apply the Nyumba Kumi concept to urban areas, said Ephraim Murugu of the Urban Tenants Association of Kenya.
"We need to be told what determines ten households," he told Sabahi. "We have not been told what constitutes ten households when it comes to apartments."
Lenku: No spying on people
Lenku said these concerns were to be expected. However, the government is not out to spy on Kenyans and it will sensitise the public on the importance of the new security initiative, he said.
As he put it, the initiative would give citizens an active role in helping police and security forces safeguard the country.
"It is obvious that whenever we want to roll out a new concept, concerns must come forth," he said. "But for us, the plan is not to spy on our people nor use them for political reasons, but we want the people to know each other so that any suspicious individuals among them can be brought forth and we can get rid of criminals and keep Kenya safe."
"We are [aware of the] sensitivities about personal freedoms and privacy, and as we work on the finer details in implementation of this programme, we will ensure that there are adequate checks and balances instituted too to make sure that our people are not hurt by this initiative," Lenku said.
Source: Sabahi Online
By Rajab Ramah in Nairobi
October 22, 2013
Amid scathing criticism over its handling of last month's Westgate mall attack in Nairobi, the Kenyan government is rolling out a neighbourhood policing initiative that aims to protect against future terrorist acts and crime in general.
The government plans to implement the new initiative, known as Nyumba Kumi or "Ten Households", by the end of October, Secretary of Interior and National Co-ordination of National Government Joseph Ole Lenku said.
It calls for dividing neighbourhoods in towns and villages nationwide into clusters of ten households that would help police protect neighbourhoods and guard against terrorist activities.
Tanzania, which established the "ten-cell" concept under former President Julius Nyerere, now is considering revamping the system in a bid to bolster its own security after an al-Shabaab elements were discovered training in the Mtwara region earlier this month.
As Lenku described the initiative for Kenya, occupants of households in each cluster would keep an eye on one another, look out for suspicious activity in their given sector, and share information that could be used for community policing and intelligence gathering. Residents would report back to an appointed group leader, who would serve as a liaison with local authorities.
The initiative also would change the structure of the security system at the village level, where traditional elders or chiefs play a leading role in community policing, Lenku said.
The government has instructed commissioners in all of Kenya's counties to have the system up and running by the end of the month, he said, adding that it will help prevent terrorist threats and reduce crime if properly implemented.
"Members of ten households will be required to know each other's names, what they do for a living and whom they live with. This concept is based on the principle of know your neighbour," Lenku told Sabahi.
In addition, householders would be required to notify their cluster leaders about houseguests, including the purpose and planned duration of their visits.
"Once we plan a security system into units of ten households, people in a certain households will get to know each other and it will be difficult for foreigners who are out to commit crime to live amongst them in hiding," Lenku said.
Meeting with scepticism
But the initiative has some Kenyans expressing concern that it could infringe on people's privacy and constitutional rights.
While describing Nyumba Kumi as having the noble intention of rooting out terrorists and criminals, Mary Omare, a resident of Ongata Rongai on the outskirts of Nairobi, said she doubted that the system could work.
"Kenya is an open society, where any slight government surveillance is challenged, meaning the system will be questioned, and that is how implementation will be frustrated," Omare said, adding that the system can only work in a closed society.
Lawyer Paul Mwangi also warned that Nyumba Kumi could open the door to dictatorship in Kenya by infringing on rights to privacy and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
"Article 36 (2) of the Kenyan constitution states that a person may not be compelled to join an association of any kind," he told Sabahi. "But what this system does is to cluster people together as long as they are called neighbours, and this is where the trouble will begin."
The initiative is an interesting approach to security in light of the Westgate attack, he said, but it encourages Kenyans to spy on one another and the system could be abused for political purposes.
"It can be used as an invaluable tool for political mobilisation and propaganda, which those in authority can opt to use to spy on their political competitors as well," Mwangi said.
From a practical perspective, it would be difficult to apply the Nyumba Kumi concept to urban areas, said Ephraim Murugu of the Urban Tenants Association of Kenya.
"We need to be told what determines ten households," he told Sabahi. "We have not been told what constitutes ten households when it comes to apartments."
Lenku: No spying on people
Lenku said these concerns were to be expected. However, the government is not out to spy on Kenyans and it will sensitise the public on the importance of the new security initiative, he said.
As he put it, the initiative would give citizens an active role in helping police and security forces safeguard the country.
"It is obvious that whenever we want to roll out a new concept, concerns must come forth," he said. "But for us, the plan is not to spy on our people nor use them for political reasons, but we want the people to know each other so that any suspicious individuals among them can be brought forth and we can get rid of criminals and keep Kenya safe."
"We are [aware of the] sensitivities about personal freedoms and privacy, and as we work on the finer details in implementation of this programme, we will ensure that there are adequate checks and balances instituted too to make sure that our people are not hurt by this initiative," Lenku said.