The Kidnapping of Italian Aid Worker in Kenya is a Reminder that the War on Terror is Lost

This Chakama (a village in Kilifi County in Kenya's Coast) attack and kidnapping of an aid worker is another reminder on the risks associated with humanitarian work. This being a region that I frequented for over 2 years as part of my humanitarian and community development work and having a good grasp of the local terrain down there I can make an opinion or two. First, it is wrong for the Kenyan security forces to claim that this is an isolated case; it is not. This is part of a pattern traceable to Al Shabaab and one that has been going on for a long time. Which brings me to my second point. This is typically an Al Shabaab version of attack; let's guard against disassociating it with the terror group for indeed it has all the hallmarks of the group. 

Three and most importantly, this reminds us that Kenya is not winning the "war on terror." On 16 October 2011 Kenya dispatched some 2,000 troops across the border into Somalia. The invasion was called ‘Linda Nchi’ in Swahili (‘Operation Protect the Nation’). While the operation later mutated and the troops were integrated into the UN-backed African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), it has never really achieved its objective to "linda nchi" (protect the nation). It is exactly these kinds of kidnappings that saw Kenya deploy its military to Somalia to pursue Al Shabaab. My argument has always been that Kenya's so called "war on terror" as framed (which is basically American) cannot be won. Kenya must go back to the security chase board and reorganize its strategy if it has to effectively deal with its key security threats including the Al Shabaab and other radical and organised criminal gangs especially in the Kenyan coast.