Hiiraan Online

Smoke billows from Westgate Mall. The latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) report released in London Monday groups Kenya with failed nations like Somalia and others facing unmanageable security situations at the bottom of the list ranking 52 African nations. PHOTO | FILE

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

The latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) report released in London Monday groups Kenya with failed nations like Somalia and others facing unmanageable security situations at the bottom of the list ranking 52 African nations.

The IIAG was set up in 2007 by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim (right) to promote good governance in Africa.

Kenya is in position 42 and ranks as poorly in personal security for its citizens and visitors as in the safety and rule of law indexes at 36 and 33, respectively.

Speaking to the Nation shortly after releasing the report, the founding executive director of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Ms Hadeel Ibrahim, said Kenya’s performance was largely affected by its unstable neighbours and the situation is likely to remain the same if the security situation in Somali does not improve.

Kenya recently suffered a terrorist attack at Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall last month in which 67 people were killed.

It has also experienced grenade attacks in Nairobi, Mandera, Garissa and Mombasa.

“The specific indicators affecting the national security situation in Kenya are derived from cross-border tension and a largely chaotic neighbourhood in the horn of Africa,” Ms Ibrahim said.

Kenya’s involvement in the Somali conflict, including the deployment of forces in that country, also contributed to the poor security ranking.

Ms Ibrahim also stated that the Somali instability had affected the general regional performance, with East Africa ranked fourth in governance out of five regions in Africa.

In governance, Kenya is ranked 21, beaten in the region by Seychelles, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

However the report shows that 94 per cent of Africans — including in Kenya — live in a country that has experienced overall governance improvement since 2000.