Our security priorities are completely wrong

A disturbing report published in the Saturday Nation on June 14 brought into sharp focus the deteriorating security situation in Turkana County, particularly in Todonyang near the Ethiopian border.

It is a stark reminder that while government security agencies expend considerable energy monitoring social media and clamping down on dissent, entire communities are being left vulnerable to militia attacks and cross-border raids.

How can we justify the deployment of scores of security officers to silence innocent demonstrators or trail bloggers, while at the same time, citizens in Turkana are told not to leave their homes without the escort of poorly equipped police reservists? This is absurd. National security should begin at the borders, not in cyberspace.

What is even more perplexing is the allocation of vast resources—over Sh100 million according to recent budget reports—towards building the government’s online spying capacity. Meanwhile, militia groups armed with superior firepower continue to terrorise Kenyan fishermen, pastoralists and traders with impunity. Are we to believe that social media posts pose a greater threat to national stability than armed criminals operating within our territory?

The decision by local police in Turkana to ban unguarded fishing in Todonyang is further proof that the State has abdicated its responsibility. Residents are not asking for miracles—just basic security to live and work without fear. The reliance on National Police Reservists, while commendable in principle, is woefully inadequate given the scale and sophistication of the threat.

This misallocation of resources and manpower must be corrected. The government must deploy its trained, well-equipped officers to border regions where they are most needed. For far too long, border security has been treated as a secondary concern—yet it is crucial not only for safety but also for trade, development, and national cohesion.

The State must stop treating criticism and protest as existential threats while ignoring the very real dangers faced by its own people. True national security lies not in silencing the population, but in protecting their right to life, safety, and prosperity—regardless of whether they live in Nairobi or Turkana.

David M. Kigo