Ahadi Si Ahadi.

This statement- which means a promise is not a promise- was proved right 6 days ago when two churches where grenade bombed, on an otherwise peaceful Sunday the majority Muslim county was shaken to its core and found its way into the national headline as 17 people lost their lives in what was considered a safe place.

What happened in the hours and days after is something Kenyans have become used to. A fast and furious salvo of condemnation was heaped upon the masked gunmen and their heinous actions, with both MPs and the International Community rebuking the attacks. Next came the sombre and solemn visits to the scene of the crime by our MPs smartly dressed and talking very tough they stepped off their helicopters with no less than a heard of security leading and trailing their every step, vigilant and on the highest of alerts, guards and police where everywhere forming a hard protective human shell around the VIPs, here everyone was screened and scrutinised with the finest of fine tooth combs.

Outside the doors of one of the churches MPs were again seen, smartly dressed in suit and tie speaking to the gathered media. They stared down the red blinking dot into the camera- and into our houses- seriously they made the all too familiar promises that they-the government- would do everything in their power to make the country more secure, that they’ll ‘do all they can to strengthen security’ ‘immediately’.  

The government has consistently called for Kenyans to be extra vigilant, in fact they never fail to do so after each attack or scare, well we would if our attackers were not so ordinary looking, they look like we do, they do not wear signs or distinguishing marks on their bodies so as to alert those around them to the imminent and fatal danger they pose, we are essentially searching for needles in a hay stack.

 A rather perturbing  problem  has arisen with those security guards that are present at the moment, guarding the entrance to almost all establishments; they do not run thorough checks on cars, or bags at shopping centres, guards have even adopted the ill-advised practice of being lenient with those lesser able and pregnant members of society not knowing or perhaps being blind to the sad fact that they too can be used as conduits for terror what’s more is that one doesn’t have to be disabled to use a crutch, walk with a limp or use a wheelchair.

There have been at least 6 attacks on the county this year alone from Nairobi to Mombasa to Garissa. The country has been bombed and shot up so much that most people have become scared to go to restaurants and bars that they once frequented and with the attacks earlier this week I wouldn’t blame any Kenyan who is now skittish about entering the house of the Lord. It is glaringly and painfully obvious that more needs to be done to protect the countries citizens.

Security guards at public establishments need to be vigilant about checking both people and their belongings, they must realize that they can no longer be lackadaisical about it, I have always wondered whether the security guards know what a grenade or homemade bomb looks like and what they would do if they found one?

Words and promises are often sweet and they may work to draw us all in but the importance and value of a promise comes in the keeping of the said promise, the time has come for more-to be delivered- than just the sweet words spoken after disaster or terrorists strike.