Kenya recorded rise in terror attacks last year, new report shows

Kenya recorded a rise in terrorist attacks last year, as the militant group al-Shabaab intensified its campaigns against security and civilian targets, a new report shows.

The report released by the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS) showed at least 77 attacks were recorded in 2022 compared to 51 in the previous year.

January 2022 recorded the highest number of attacks at 16 resulting in 46 deaths and 16 injuries.

In January 2022, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers killed at least 15 al-Shabaab militants in Lamu County.

The attacks increased sporadically between June and December. There were no attacks recorded in April and May, according to CHRIPS.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for three attacks in 2022 including the January 9 ambush of police officers between Liboi and Kulan in Garissa County.

Four security personnel died during the incident. On the same day, the militants raided Marafa village in Mpeketoni, killed two civilians, torched houses and looted food.

On March 11, 2022, the militants ambushed a construction site in Lamu, killing four civilians working on the Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project. Three people were injured including a Chinese national.

At least 16 people were reported injured in terror incidents in January. Thirteen civilians were wounded in Mandera after a public service vehicle they were using was hit by an explosive.

Mandera recorded the highest number of attacks in 2022 at 37 followed by Lamu County at 21.

Garissa County recorded the least number of attacks and fatalities during the period under review.

Out of a total of 77 in 2022, nearly 50 percent of the raids were targeted at security officials, who were mostly hit while in transit or during patrol.

Terror-related attacks

Critical infrastructure also remains a target in terror-related attacks, with suspected Al Shabaab militants destroying eight communication masts in separate incidents, particularly in Mandera and Wajir counties.

At least three telecommunications were destroyed within police stations.

Khorof Harar, Alungo and Kutole are some of the police stations that reported the destruction of telecommunication masts from within.

In 2022, security officials were targeted 33 times out of 77 attacks reported. 

Most attacks targeting security officials were by suspected al-Shabaab militants, mainly using explosive devices. 

These were recorded in Mandera, which reported 15 cases, followed by Garissa with eight episodes. Lamu and Wajir counties had five attacks each.

Fourteen civilians were abducted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants, two in Wajir and 12 in Mandera counties.

Among those kidnapped by alleged Al Shabaab militants were two former councillors on January 9 in Wajir at Khorof Harar. The two later managed to escape.

Al Shabaab militants

At Fino in Mandera County, suspected Al Shabaab militants kidnapped three health workers, released two and crossed over to Somalia with one.

The number of kidnappings decreased by 18 percent compared to 17 people who were reported to have been kidnapped in 2021.

At least 116 people were killed and 64 injured in terror-related incidents in 2022.

The highest number of fatalities recorded in 2022 was of civilians, where 42 people were killed in a total of 77 attacks reported in the period.

Thirty-eight suspected al-Shabaab militants were also killed in operations by Kenyan security officials in instances where the officers were repulsing attacks by the militants.

One government official, an assistant chief, was killed in Mandera on February 28.

Twenty-five military officers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were killed in a total of six terror-related attacks.

Rocket-propelled grenade

In 2022, most security officials were targeted while in transit, during patrol, and while in their camps. For instance, four General Service Unit(GSU) officers were killed in a Shabaab attack in Milihoi, Lamu County, when a rocket-propelled grenade hit a security patrol car at the border.

Thirteen other security officials were also killed in six separate terror-related incidents in 2022.

Explosive devices were employed in 33 terror-related incidents. These devices included rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), bombs, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), primarily used in attacks directed at security officials and critical infrastructure.

Firearms were used in only 23 incidents and there were six incidents involving arson reported in 2022.

By the end of 2022, the media reported that 29 people had been arrested on different counts of terrorism or being involved in terror-related activity. This is a decrease from 39 people arrested in 2021 and a drop from 135 people arrested in 2019.

In 2022, persons were arrested on suspicion of supplying security information to a terror group, membership to a terror organization, planning attacks within Kenya, possessing illegal firearms, and having links to terror activities.

The highest record of most arrests in the period under review was in December when ten people were arrested in three separate incidents, six in Garissa, one in Kwale and three in an unspecified county.

Garissa County recorded the highest number of arrests during the period under review. Lamu and Mombasa counties recorded the second-highest number of arrests in 2022 while Laikipia, Kilifi, Nairobi, Kwale, Narok, Mandera, Nyeri, and Tana River reported one terror-related arrest each.

In Laikipia County, a male student at Meru National Polytechnic, who confessed to joining Al-Shabaab military group, was arrested while taking photos of a British military camp in Nanyuki on August 2.

Eleven persons out of the 29 arrested in 2022 were men. In Mombasa county, three identified men were reportedly arrested in the Barsheba area on April 13 because of ties to the Al-Shabaab terror group.