Create business networks that aim to improve overall security

January 16, 2013 at 10.30pm I was abducted in my car, at the apartment building’s gate, beaten heavily, taken to all my ATM’s to withdraw money, stripped naked, raped and dumped in a sewer far from where I stay. This was the second worst day of my life –first being, the day my mother passed away.

This carjacking was meticulously planned and the three men that did it were in constant communication via phone with the masterminds’ associate on the other end.

The order of events and from what happened after the incident tells me that this was planned by someone who claimed I was his soul mate, an educated part time lecturer, a charismatic deceiver but a dangerous alcoholic whose name shall be revealed in due time.

I was dumped in some deserted area in Savannah and it took more than an hour for me to get help from good samaritans who drove me to the nearby police station.

Apparently the call out radio was not working properly and a fast call could not be relayed out for my stolen car. An older female cop seemed to be distressed and tried all she could to get me help. She also called an ambulance and I was taken to the French hospital MSF in the Nairobi Eastleigh area.

No footage from my banks ATM’s could be retrieved and the Buru Buru police station could not pursue this further as they lacked sufficient resources to fully investigate the crime.

The most resounding words that constantly went through my mind after this ordeal were from the former American President, John F Kennedy – “Ask not, what your country can do for you – ask, what you can do for your country”

The truth is, car jackings will continue, and the part time lecturer is still alive and if he can plan this for someone he claimed to love, he can even plan it for the men who worked for him that night or anyone else close to him.

Improving security business wise

Banks might want to add to an already existing service that would have a minimal cost implication.

The automatic SMSs sent to a clients phone once a withdrawal is made are a good idea – but, if the bank would extend this and have the same SMS sent to one or two other alternate numbers; a spouse, a next of kin or trusted friend, would know if an irregular withdrawal has been made.

The reintroduction of the 999 call is good – but it would be of more help if all stations had a dispatcher not affiliated with the police but trained to operate and send out urgent alerts for crimes as serious as these.

That way, the dispatcher is accountable for instant message relay – the dispatchers could even be outsourced from an already existing security company.

Subsequently, telecommunication network companies would chime in and when a distress call is made from a certain area their masts would instantly take record of the phone call and route it to the nearest police station.

The management of Orange Kenya that has affiliation in France can for instance partner with the French MSF hospital and set up a lab where all the semen collected from rape victims can be stored into a DNA database.

The banks can work with this and mandate that all their patrons not only provide ID but DNA samples that can be stored at the MSF/bank/network provider formed lab.

This network can also partner with Kenya Prisons and collect all inmates DNA within a short period of time – this newly formed network can not only be a powerful business source to reckon with – but they can harness the power of collecting, storing and maintaining data.

And remember knowledge is power. They may charge a nominal fee to run basic DNA tests.

Business wise, this would be an intelligent working network of citizens, telecoms network providers, Kenya Police, Kenya Prisons, security firms, banks, CCTV Installation companies and we can all play a role in doing something for the country we love dearly and improve on security necessary for business success.

Ms Munywoki is the executive MBA programme coordinator at Inoorero University.