Proposal to Stop Ruffian Robbery
- Category: Peering Eye
- Date 28-05-2006
- 322 views
When Mr. JK assumed the presidency last year, he coined a slogan that would be the hallmark of his administration: new zeal, new vigour and new speed! All are new.
Peering Eye has nonetheless been dazed with the speed at which ruffian gangs have been energised by the new sloganeering; increasing the ferocity of burglary almost tenfold to turn the haven of peace into a rather risky dwelling. Robbers have hijacked the aphorism of the new administration – they are now acting with the zeal, vigour, and speed never seen before in this land. Moreover when the population hoped the best government since independence has been ushered in.
The recent blockade of the Arusha-Nairobi highway by bandits to rob passengers of their valuables and cash was not an isolated incident. The gun-totting thugs, clad in police fatigues, set up a roadblock near the Namanga border and seized mobile phones, wristwatches, clothes, shoes, gold ornaments, necklaces, cash, and etcetera, besides assaulting the stubborn passengers who could not readily submit.
About a week earlier, an eight-man criminal squad had set up a similar roadblock on the Arusha-Moshi highway at Kikatiti and passengers suffered the same fate. The motorists would initially think that the gangsters were actual police officers because of their “uniform”, not until they stopped at the “checkpoints for inspection” and realised that criminal gangs had set traps.
This is not to mention the numerous mugging incidents in different parts of the country since the year began. There is no doubt that this is a bad mark on our nation and the authorities must not allow illicit groups to beat government at their own game of: new zeal, vigour and speed.
The criminal rate is soaring whereas only middling pronouncements are being issued. Police have just proclaimed a 24-hour patrol along the highway as a reassurance, but the thieves are neither children nor fools. They have been able to masquerade as security personnel and inflict egregious mischief.
The creation of the ministry of Public Safety and Security was probably an act of provocation to the bandits in this country. I know that the pioneer minister Mr Bakari Mwapachu would not be amused about the idea but it would not be bad to abolish the department, and place security matters where they were before. Violent hooliganism was not as ferocious as now.
As the saying goes, while men have learnt to shoot without missing, birds have also learnt to fly without perching! The proclamation by JK after his inauguration to improve security for citizens’ life and property could never have been an exhilarating message to the vicious gangs in the country. They must have perceived it as a call to warfare and have since been on the offensive: it is called pre-emptive attack.
Other than the highway robberies above, thugs try to rob a billion at Ubungo traffic lights and end up killing a cop and NMB bank guy. Another criminal bunch take a kid hostage and demand a 5m/= ransom with awful confidence. A Dar business enterprise is overrun in broad daylight, retiring IGP is attacked in daytime, the list is endless.
Unlike the police, muggers have no time for press conferences; they do not have to defend and justify they acts verbally. They do not announce their next course of action whereas IGP Saidi Mwema and his people (cops) never stop to say what they want to do to stem larceny and crime.
Talking is nothing; doing is everything. This is my directive, Mr. Mwema: do as the thieves are doing – spy on them as they are doing on your force; masquerade as they are doing in police uniforms. Identify some and assign them tasks in your force – have you not heard that the best way to catch a thief is to use a thief? I agree with Dr. Shein; someone in the police might be aiding the brigands.
By Venansio Ahabwe
Source: Peering Eye, Sunday Citizen