What if Kisumu is the terrorists’ next stop?

BY ELVIS ONDIEKI, Nation correspondent                                                                            

Is Kisumu prepared to deal with a terrorist attack?

 

We posed that question to the Kisumu deputy OCPD Muthuri Mwongera and his response was something short of a no.

 

In Mr Mwongera's view, Kenyan police are ill-equipped and can't deal with terrorists sufficiently.

 

"There is no way you can give a policeman a G3 gun and expect him to guard you against a terrorist who might be using more sophisticated machinery," he said.

 

He was however confident that the work being done by the Kisumu anti-terrorism unit is enough to keep terrorists at bay.

 

The deputy OCPD was jittery of the amount of damage that would be done if institutions in the city do not embrace good ways of screening those who get in.

 

"We have talked to owners of hotels, entertainment spots, supermarkets and banks in the city but not all of them have installed the right machinery to detect weapons that may be used to cause harm," said  Mr Mwongera.

 

He expressed his fears that some places are very vulnerable should terrorists decide to wreak havoc in Kisumu.

 

"Take the Kisumu Pentecostal Church for example. It is very close to the road and may be an easy target for terrorists because it will be very easy for them to escape after attacking."

 

He also urged wananchi to be cautious in case they see suspicious people joining them in places where many people gather.

 

"If you see someone coming to watch a video or enter a church and you have never seen them there before, better start watching their steps," he said.

 

He was also happy with what is being done by bus companies, citing an example of Molo Line that helped them arrest two men of Somali origin who were behaving in a questionable manner.

 

He also dropped a clincher: "It is a sad thing that all terrorists are Muslims but not all Muslims are terrorists."