Thursday, April 09, 2015
GOVERNMENT has cracked down on possible sources of funding for al Shabaab following the Garissa attack. Bus companies and hawalas (money transfer networks) have been closed along with bank accounts of individuals and NGOs.
This over-reaction will prove counter-productive. Unlicensed hawalas will spring up to replace the licensed ones. They will be completely off the radar.
One hotel in Eastleigh has been closed. What about the big shot's hotel in Garissa where the terrorists slept last Wednesday?
What about Kismayu harbour which the UN says remains a conduit for sugar smuggled into Kenya and charcoal ( bought from al Shabaab) smuggled out of Somalia?
These indiscriminate measures will only alienate the Somali community. They will achieve very little, just like the Eastleigh sweep last year that did not catch a single terrorist.
The only solution is better intelligence. Kenya must infiltrate al Shabaab so that attacks can be intercepted before they happen. However that requires time and money.
Most Somalis do not support al Shabaab. Government must work with Somali elders to penetrate the clan networks and mosques that can lead inside al Shabaab.
If we invested 1% of what we invest in military equipment in infiltrating al Shabaab, Kenya would become a much safer place.