Eight years later, Kenya is on right path of anti-terror war

The Westgate terrorist attack eight years ago was an attack on all of us. In one of the most atrocious assaults on Kenyan soil, with the aid of a network of collaborators in both Kenya and Somalia, four cowardly inhuman men massacred dozens of innocent people in a mass shooting and subsequent four-day siege at the shopping mall.

The September 21, 2013 attack in Nairobi was supposedly a reprisal for Kenya’s role in fighting the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia. But in a triumph-over-evil twist, the mall was rebuilt and reopened a week before then US President Barack Obama visited Kenya, signalling that Kenya was safe.

Kenya has since been resilient in the war on terrorism. The 2014 Security Laws Amendment Act bolstered its anti-terrorism legislative framework and created special agencies to fight terrorism. This also led to the establishment of the anti-terrorism, bomb disposal and cyber forensics investigative police units.

It also enhanced the roles of KDF and National Intelligence Service (NIS) , giving them the constitutional and legislative mandate to take counter-terrorism measures to safeguard national security.

The media and security agencies have learnt and improved a lot if one is to compare the handling of the Westgate attack and the more recent 2019 raid on the DusitD2 complex, also in Nairobi. During Westgate, information was not flowing and, when it did, caused more confusion. Then Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku had a difficult time explaining what was happening amid billows of dark smoke. In 2019, information was readily provided and the rescue operation better coordinated. The response, too, was swift and effective, saving lives.

Counter-terrorism strategies

Besides, the courts have since sentenced two men to lengthy jail terms for aiding the gunmen carry out the Westgate attack.

The National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism strategy emphasises respect for human rights in the war on terrorism. You win by sticking to values which the terrorists hate, not compromising them.

When a country’s defences are breached and a terrorist attack succeeds, we’re reminded of the real cost of this scourge — notably human pain, loss of lives and suffering. Effective counter-terrorism strategies thus recognise the value of involving local communities, the private sector, the media and other groups in society, which has worked for Kenya.

Exchange of intelligence, information and expertise between national agencies and across borders is encouraged. Promotion of peace, equality, tolerance and dignity is a universal value that transcends borders. All must come together to protect humankind.

Terrorists may kill and maim but they shouldn’t undermine our way of life or the things we stand for. The best way to deal with them is to get on with life. That’s what is happening at Westgate: People are rebuilding their businesses, and lives. That may be the best rebuke to terrorism that anybody can give.

Ms Ngunjiri is an economist and political analyst. [email protected]