Cut ‘snake’s head’ first in security overhaul

The ghastly torture and brutal killing of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang at the hands of the police has cast a dark stain of evil on State security agencies.
What has left the nation in shock, disbelief, and fear is the incriminating evidence that has emerged deeply implicating the police in not only Ojwang’s death but also in the attempted cover-up that goes right up to the top.
That the people who have been trained, entrusted and sworn on oath under the sacred Constitution to protect the lives of citizens have turned out to be their oppressors and executors is a very serious matter that must be urgently addressed.
Not that it comes as a surprise. Kenyans have become used to the catalogue of abductions, extrajudicial killings, assassinations and other human rights violations that have been continually committed by security agencies in independent Kenya.
After what has been exposed as a major State public relations disaster, it is time to permanently end these evils perpetrated by people fed on taxpayers’ money by “cutting the head of the snake”, through a total overhaul of the security agencies.
Throughout the country, the people are angry and traumatised by these unending incidents of police killings and brutality, mostly believed to be politically sanctioned.
Why should the police, acting covertly or overtly at the behest of their seniors or top State officers, as in the case of Ojwang, be allowed to continue with these evil acts perpetrated on citizens expressing their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms?
Ojwang’s torture and killing will have deep ramifications in national political affairs that have awakened memories of last year’s massively supported countrywide Gen Z mass protests, whose first anniversary is just around the corner.
To date, no one has been prosecuted for these acts of police brutality in a criminal justice system fast losing the people’s confidence, perpetuating the culture of impunity entrenched in State security agencies and national political leadership.
The buck stops with the Executive. It will no longer be business as usual as the authorities try to suppress the people’s freedoms through acts such as Ojwang’s national tragedy.
Anger is building up. The fear of continued impunity and police brutality is drawing the people back to mass protests, which would be a national catastrophe at this critical juncture in Kenya’s history.
President William Ruto should recall the words of the Catholic bishops who last November led the chorus of scathing Christian leaders’ condemnation of his government for perpetuating a “culture of lies”.
The bishops also raised issues about overtaxation and violation of human rights, including police brutality, extrajudicial killings, abductions and forced evictions.
They strongly expressed concern over endemic corruption, freedom of speech, rampant unemployment, especially among the youth, and a “crumbling” education system and healthcare services.
The clergy said, despite the calm in the country, people are losing trust in the government.
Conceited political allies seem to have forgotten the public backlash for making “dishonest, misleading, erroneous and false” remarks against the bishops’ statement.
The Latin phrase vox populi, vox Dei literally means “the voice of the people is the voice of God”, used in English to mean the opinion of the majority of the people. Kenyans spoke through the Church.
The writer comments on national issues.