Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
FOLLOWING the recent military incursion into Southern Somalia territory to flush out the armed Islamist extremists members of the Al-Qaeda backed Al-Shaab militias; the rural country hoe home at Nyang’oma, Alego Kogelo in Siaya County has been placed under tight police security watch.
Visitors to the home of the 88-year old Mama Sarah Obama, the step grand mother of the US President Barack Obama from now onward will have to get security clearance from the local District Commissioner’s office based in Siaya town abut 10 kilometers to the west.
The Obamas rural home is located about 80 kilometers west of Kisumu City. The home has recently been the center of visitors and tourist attraction n the region ever since Mama Sarah Obama grand son won the US presidency of the United States a couple of years ago,
The local police chief Stepen Cheteka confirmed at the weekend that Mama Sarah is among he crucial areas now placed under police close watch against possible attack by Al-Shabaab terrorist network.
A visit made by this writer at the weekend revealed that security has been enhanced in and around Siaya district with police put on alert to watch over the Kogelo village home where President Obama’s Kenyan family members live for fear that Somali terrorist might target Mama Sarah Obama and members of her immediate family.
The Officer Commanding Police Division {OCPD] Cheteka confirmed that security have been beefed and are on high alert to watch on strangers around Nyang’oma Kogelo village.
The OCPD pointed out that the police cannot rule out the possibility that that Al-Shabaab can attack the Kogelo village home of the Obamas.”That is the reason why police officer will remain on high alert,” he added.
President Obama’s younger brother Said Obama was quoted by the local media houses last week as having made it clear that the family has so far not received any threat and that they were living the normal life like any other villagers around,” he said adding that there is cause of alarm..
Local observers, however, maintained that the issue has been overblown out of proportion and that there was no risk security around Siaya district and Kogelo village in particular.
Of course fear persist I many parts of Kenyan that Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia has widely spread network with agents everywhere inside Kenya and such attacks cannot be ruled out and simply dismissed as phantom.
Towns In most Western Kenya regions security have been tightened around important government installations and institutions, and even in private enterprises such as supermarket, hotels, country buses and all places of social amenities.
Visitors to major hotels in Nakuru, Eldoret, Kericho and Kisumu have to pass through the electronic devices security check-ups before being ushered into the facilities.
Ends
What about the security for ordinary Kenyans who are being terrorized on the roads and streets of big and small towns in Kenya? What about the security of mothers and grandmothers living in Kenya’s country side who are forced to keep their cows and goats inside their (living and bed) rooms at night?
The hooligans connected with Kenyan political elites like sub-chiefs, chiefs, DOs, DCs, PCs and elected political are roaming everywhere, terrorizing helpless regular people simply because the political elites are failed to do their jobs! In other words, ordinary Kenyans have no (political, financial, job and physical) security wherever they live and nobody is talking about that! People are being killed or kidnapped by thugs with political connections and nobody is talking about that! Is the security in Kenya or Luoland only belongs to the rich and the well connected?