To tame insecurity, cooperation is inevitable

BY PIUS MAUNDU

@piusmaundu

piusmaundu@yahoo.com

Interpol’s nabbing of “the most wanted poacher” Feisal Ali Mohammed is among the most reassuring news this year.  

On a year that saw poachers down elephants and rhinos in dozens despite spirited campaigns by conservationists to end poaching, and a new Wildlife Conservation and Management Law (2013), all those with a soft spot for game have something to smile about. 

But in that excitement, it’s possible to overlook the elephant in the room: runaway insecurity, and the value of international cooperation. 

That it took cooperation of security agencies in Kenya and Tanzania to apprehend the suspected ivory trafficker is worth noting. 

Cooperation is founded on the power in pulling together. When it comes to sharing ideas on dynamic issues such as crime, it is always prudent to come together. 

This way, developing nations get an opportunity to benefit from tested and tried solutions to issues ailing them from developed countries. 

In addition, coming together helps nations realize how their inherent cultures could dampen their attempts to develop.  The case of Ebola in West Africa fits well here. 

Untoward cultural practices in handling the dead, as well as wanting support from WHO complicates the fight against Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, Mali, and Sierra Leone.

Similar factors are pivotal in stalling the war on insecurity, and that is where the recent milestone by Interpol is worth commending. 

Interpol is a network of police agencies and civilians from 190 countries all over the world. 

By flagging notices across its network, Interpol helps its members stay informed on crime developments, through sharing crime related information.

But Interpol is not the only attempt to collaborate with the world. 

The International Criminal Court, an upshot of the Rome Statute, has been in existence to address the justice and human rights aspects of insecurity, but sadly it’s a subject of ridicule for, according to the critics, its affront on the sovereignty of Africans. 

Working with the rest of the world enables the development of ideas that make coordination effective when fighting insecurity. 

To win the war on crime, it pays to ensure that all efforts are legitimate.  This is what international cooperation achieves. 

But international cooperation is doomed to fail in circumstances where mistrust among partners is rife. 

Branding some countries as allies and others as foes is counterproductive in this pursuit. 

In tackling the trafficking of small arms, human, and ivory trafficking, and taming terrorism, Interpol’s triumph underlines the inevitability the need for international cooperation.

Consumerism on Christmas

BY PIUS MAUNDU

@piusmaundu

piusmaundu@yahoo.com

On Thursday, the world will unite in celebrating Christmas. In its pristine, December 25th is the day Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.  This is stoked by millions of believers who troop to churches to sing carols, give offerings, and pray.

But that does not mean that Christmas is observed only by Christian faithfuls. In fact, telling from the activities on this day, Christmas, just like Halloween, is quickly assuming a secular appeal, and a disenchanted followership. It’s a petridish for consumerism in society.  

For a long time, Christmas meant the excitement that comes with acquiring new clothes, and visiting eateries in town for fries. Going to Sunday school on Christmas day meant walking home an assortment of sweets and biscuits.

I envied my friends who recited Bible verses, especially the lucky one who landed ‘Jesus wept,’ as they got rewarded with plastic plates and cups, and more sweets.

But then I would steel up, knowing that later in the day, we shall feast on chapati, and roast goat meat as we converge around the fireplace. I’m convinced that scores can relate with my Christmas story as they grew up. This narrative has not changed much today.

Christmas is synonymous with merry-making and travelling to the country side. The mania at Machakos Country Bus terminus with travellers loading sack loads of rice, sugar, and bales of wheat flour, cabbage heads, and potatoes on the roof carriers of buses is manifestation of this human migration.

The affluent, those especially on their first car, cruise to the village in style. Car rentals register good business around this time. Clients-afraid to be seen as if they came to the city to idle around- hire the most recent spruced self-drives-mostly fuel guzzlers- to the village.

In total disregard to the reason for the Christmas season, the middle class city folk driving to their villages abandon their lowly neighbors to scramble for seats at public servive jalopies. On these matatus, travellers are fleeced at least three times what they normally pay as their one-way fares home.

And so materialism makes the sleepy village towns lively once again.

On the actual Christmas day, the spaces local churches reserve for bicycles and motorcycles are jammed with an assortment of cars driven by brethren from far and wide who, from the wanting development on the churches, had hitherto lost touch with the houses of God.

Before long, the cars would thin out as their their owners and passengers respond to calls of nature at facilities at the local bars. Nights would find the city folk perched on the various sina taabu at the bars belting tales of the city, and bragging on the relative prowess of their smartphone apps as they freeze the moments through selfies while downing the dearest alcohol brands stocked at the local joints.

This is not all.

Holidayers go for more secluded getaways. With the insecurity bite on the classic holiday destinations in Kenya, this cohort will certainly prefer flying their families and dear ones to such places as Zanzibar, or even the UAE. Most of this lot has fallen prey to the aggressive marketing around this time.

Corporates take the Christmas seriously. This is seen in the increased number of ‘sales’ campaigns and tinsel-themsed advertisements splashed at the eyes of consumers in the media.  

All this comes at a cost.

January is known to be the longest and as a result the most dreaded month. That schools open for a new term, and bills are waiting in line justifies the adage that there are 45 days in this month. And there is every indication that this is not going to change, at least in this year’s Christmas.

On Thursday, everyone will certainly play to the age-old Christmas script. In that case, it’ll be apparent that the question of whether the world understands the essence of Christmas remains unresolved.