You should be mightily enraged.

What once was.

Let us not pretend that the goal of the Shabaab is religious. It is as political as the goals of any power that would seek to order the lives of the people. Even theocracies such as the Islamic Republic and the Vatican pursue political goals when they stray beyond the teachings of scripture and seek to acquire the accoutrements of modern government: revenue and armies. The Shabaab wishes to be a political power and it will pursue its goals through a perverted interpretation of scripture, the recruitment of men and women to its ideology, the employment of extreme violence and the indiscriminate murder of civilians to force its political and military opponents to capitulate. Whoever has the greatest will shall prevail. 

 

That is a lesson that has to be learned the hard way. It was so in Vietnam (1955 to 1975) and it was so in Afghanistan (1979 to 1989). In Vietnam, the United States could not stomach the unremitting loss of life and political legitimacy at home, and it was forced to capitulate to the North Vietnamese Army. In Afghanistan, the Soviet Union capitulated to the mujahideen. This is a lesson Kenya must take to heart. Until the Shabaab capitulates, more bloodshed and more violence are in store for Kenya and Kenyans.

Kenya was known for many things: its sun-kissed coastal beaches, its wildlife and the Safari Rally. The Safari Rally is the best example of how low we have fallen. Until Kenya was struck of the World Rally Championship calendar, we assumed that our reputation - not the most stellar, but not Nigeria, Angola, Uganda or Sudan either - would always guarantee a place of honour in the comity of nations. But corruption in the motorsports sector guaranteed that we would never establish the systems and mechanisms that would keep the Safari Rally on the WRC calendar. We lost our slot and the revenue it generated.

This is an observation that has emboldened the Shabaab. Even after the successful capture of strategic Shabaab strongholds such as the Port of Kismayo by the Kenya Defence Forces, the Shabaab regrouped and targetted the Westgate Mall, the sleepy town of Mpeketoni and the recent murderous attack of the Garissa University College. Corruption has hollowed out the national security and public safety sectors. The replacements of Joseph Ole Lenku and David Kimaiyo with Joseph ole Nkaiserry and Joseph Boinnet have done little to persuade the Shabaab that the Government of Kenya has the will to prevail. While the Kenya Defence Forces holds onto the Port of Kismayo and its lucrative business in charcoal and contraband sugar (while meddling in the clan politics of Somalia), the Shabaab is busily infiltrating Kenya, participating in the corruption of officers of the government and planning more attacks. That should enrage you mightily.