After the events of September 21 2013, the above worries
seem quite trivial and we have a bigger picture of things to worry about now
than just little plain old Nairobery. I
was travelling West Africa at the time, in Benin actually, when we just
happened to be in an internet café when Harj was checking the news and told me
that there had been a shooting in Nairobi.
This, as sad as it sounds, is nothing too much out of the ordinary, as
there are always things like that happening around the city on a normal
day. Little did I know the extent of the
‘shooting’ until we next logged onto some internet a few days later and I had
21 messages in my inbox asking if I was ok and knew this wasn’t just any
ordinary shooting. On 21 September 2013,
unidentified gunmen attacked the upmarket Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. The attack, which lasted until 24 September,
resulted in at least 72 deaths, including 61 civilians, 6 Kenyan soldiers, and
5 attackers. Over 200 people were reportedly wounded in the mass shooting,
with all of the gunmen reported killed.
The Islamist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the
incident, which it characterised as retribution for the Kenyan
military's deployment in Somalia.
Since my return from West Africa and Australia, Nairobi
is a different city to when I left. The
security presence is so much more visible, there always was, but now there are
police from all units around in the shopping centres, the schools, the carparks
and also walking the major roads, with guns slung over their shoulders. Where there was once a single security check
there will now be 2 or 3 and there is an air of seriousness now in public
places. There are have been some small
incidents that have happened in the aftermath of the Westgate Siege and I think
I am safe to say that people are still raw and if want for a better word a
little jumpy, which I think is understandable.
I was not here during that time, so my ‘jumpability’ is not as intense
and I guess I had the naïve and unrealistic attitude that something like that
would never happen to me if I am careful and vigilant, which is just plain stupid
when you are dealing with terrorism. I
am I not here with a large organization, so I tend to miss out on any internal
intel and updates that maybe filtered to their staff as security alerts come to
hand. I am registered with the
Australian High Commission here in Kenya but there is not a lot of information
that comes out of there on a regular basis.
I am lucky that I have friends in ‘higher’ places and also in the ‘know’
with people, so if something does break-I am notified via Whatsapp, text or
Facebook of the current update. We sort
had a small understanding of this before Westgate, but we are so much more
proactive, anticipatory and hopefully preventative for any further aggressions
in the country.
The Australian High Commission sent out a security alert
on the 20th January in its simplest form. And I quote “A small explosion occurred at a
restaurant at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on 16 January.
Australians in Kenya should be aware that several terrorist attacks have
occurred in recent months in Nairobi and Mombasa. Security services are at a
high state of alert and further attacks are likely”. End quote. That same evening I got this messaged from
Elsabe and for me it highlighted just how serious things are here now and it
read:
“SECURITY ADVISORY FOR NAIROBI - KENYA. Following the
killing of over 50 Al-shabab members and their senior commanders a week or so
ago in Garbaharey Gedo region of Somalia, it is expected that the group might
carry out a serious revenge attack against the government of Kenya within the
next few weeks/months. Intelligence sources indicate, they have received
credible information regarding a possible attack on Nairobi hotels and
prominent Kenyan government buildings. Timing of the attack is not known,
however, the source has reason to believe that the potential attack is in the
last stages of planning. Last month – 300 Al-shabab members graduated shortly
before the KDF attack and some might be used outside Somalia for missions. The
incident at JKIA might be linked to such revenge at small scale. Two weeks ago
at the JKIA, at arrivals a bag with explosive was left in a toilet but was
later taken away by the police before it exploded. In view of this, all Staff
should be extremely vigilant with regard to their personal security,
particularly in public places frequented by foreigners such as clubs, hotels,
resorts, upscale shopping centres, restaurants, and places of worship. Staff
should also remain alert in residential areas, and at outdoor recreational
events. Avoid potential symbolic places e.g. Kencom, Key installation
(Government installation) and crowded areas. Stay safe” It was a lot more detailed than the Australian High
Commission’s advice from that morning and Elsabe and I discussed that if we
both hear of anything to pass it on to each other. Awareness was going to be the key, that, and looking
out for each other. We needed to stay
safe, to stay out of shopping centres and the main ‘mzungu’ hangouts over prime
times and weekends. This was starting to
get serious and it really hit home for me with the above warning.
Tuesday’s are my food shopping day at Village
Market. I have lunch, check the post
box, printing at the internet café, banking-all that sort of stuff I do on
Tuesdays. I had just ordered lunch and
sat down when I received a text message from a friend, who wants to stay anonymous
due to work, that asked where I was.
Straight away that sent a chill and an immediate sense of something not
right. I replied back that I was at
Village Market, a reply back asking how was it there, a reply back that everything
looked normal, and then the reply back that there were some grumblings that
something was or possible could be going down at the shopping centre and she
recommended that I leave immediately and stay away from the area for the rest
of the day. I was asked to keep the
information to myself, as she/I didn’t want to cause a mass panic of people,
and it was after all just some information, nothing may actually happen
either. But with Elsabe’s message last
night, the very brief travel warning from the Australian High Commission, and
now this message-I was not going to ignore all that. So I waited until my lunch was bought over 10
minutes later and I thought I would just eat my lunch and then leave, but you
know what I couldn’t stop looking at people, warily, and my food just didn’t have
any taste. I was scared, the hair’s on
my arms was raised and I just had to get out of there. So I got my lunch in a takeaway container and
I made haste to get to my car. I don’t think
I have ever had my personal safety compromised before, or the thought of it,
and as I finally got out of the traffic line up in the carpark and I was
heading home I had to stop myself from crying and heaved a huge sigh of relief. When I got home I sent a message to Elsabe
and to also Derryck as I know that they frequent Village Market, and Derryck
also replied that he had also heard about the warnings. I got a few messages from people after I had
updated my Facebook status and phone calls from a few of my Kenyan mates and
this highlighted to me that we do need to be viligent, rely on your friends
here and pay heed to warnings that float around out there, as it is always
better to be safe than sorry in my books.
I have liked several pages on Facebook to do with
security updates, road and traffic updates and the such. These sights have been a wealth of
information and some of them include:
Crime Alert Kenya posted this today:
New terrorist attacks are on the way, four foreign
missions have claimed.
They gave a hit list of city estates, airports, government buildings and crowded public places — and warned their citizens not to visit them. The Australian, British, Canadian, and US missions urged their citizens to avoid the high risk areas following information received that they could be targets of terrorists. Eastleigh, Kibera, Mathare, Kasarani, the JKIA, leading hotels and government offices were likely to be hit by Al Shabaab militants, they warned. The alerts follow the killing of Al Shabaab members and their senior commanders last week in Somalia and the death of a suspected terrorist who jumped from a fifth floor apartment in Eastleigh to avoid arrest.
In the latest advisory, the Australian High Commission warned: “Several terrorist attacks have occurred in recent months in Nairobi and Mombasa. Security services are at a high state of alert and further attacks are likely.” It went on: “We continue to advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Kenya overall at this time due to the high risk of terrorist attack, and high crime levels in the country.”
The British High Commission wrote: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to areas within 60km of the Kenya-Somali border; to Kiwayu and coastal areas north of Pate Island; to Garissa District; to the Eastleigh area of Nairobi; and to low income areas of Nairobi, including all township or slum areas.
The Canadians warned of attacks targeting Westerners: “Such attacks have occurred in the past in Nairobi, including Eastleigh, the Coast region, including Mombasa, and the North Eastern region. Further attacks remain possible.”
The US warned its citizens to be vigilant, especially when conducting business within the city. “The United States government continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats aimed at U.S., Western, and Kenyan interests in Kenya,” it stated. “Violent and sometimes fatal criminal attacks, including armed carjacking’s, grenade attacks, home invasions and burglaries, and kidnappings can occur at any time and in any location, particularly in Nairobi,” the alert added.
The International Rescue Committee through a leaked document to its staff noted there is credible intelligence that Al Shabaab was planning another attack in Nairobi. “The timing of the attack remains unknown but there are reasons to believe the potential attack is in the last stages of planning,” it stated. It warned of “credible information” suggesting attacks on Nairobi hotels and key government buildings. After writing that it was expected the group might carry out a serious revenge attack against the Government of Kenya within the next few weeks/months, it continued: “The staff should remain alert in residential areas and at outdoor recreational events and avoid potential symbolic places.”
They gave a hit list of city estates, airports, government buildings and crowded public places — and warned their citizens not to visit them. The Australian, British, Canadian, and US missions urged their citizens to avoid the high risk areas following information received that they could be targets of terrorists. Eastleigh, Kibera, Mathare, Kasarani, the JKIA, leading hotels and government offices were likely to be hit by Al Shabaab militants, they warned. The alerts follow the killing of Al Shabaab members and their senior commanders last week in Somalia and the death of a suspected terrorist who jumped from a fifth floor apartment in Eastleigh to avoid arrest.
In the latest advisory, the Australian High Commission warned: “Several terrorist attacks have occurred in recent months in Nairobi and Mombasa. Security services are at a high state of alert and further attacks are likely.” It went on: “We continue to advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Kenya overall at this time due to the high risk of terrorist attack, and high crime levels in the country.”
The British High Commission wrote: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to areas within 60km of the Kenya-Somali border; to Kiwayu and coastal areas north of Pate Island; to Garissa District; to the Eastleigh area of Nairobi; and to low income areas of Nairobi, including all township or slum areas.
The Canadians warned of attacks targeting Westerners: “Such attacks have occurred in the past in Nairobi, including Eastleigh, the Coast region, including Mombasa, and the North Eastern region. Further attacks remain possible.”
The US warned its citizens to be vigilant, especially when conducting business within the city. “The United States government continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats aimed at U.S., Western, and Kenyan interests in Kenya,” it stated. “Violent and sometimes fatal criminal attacks, including armed carjacking’s, grenade attacks, home invasions and burglaries, and kidnappings can occur at any time and in any location, particularly in Nairobi,” the alert added.
The International Rescue Committee through a leaked document to its staff noted there is credible intelligence that Al Shabaab was planning another attack in Nairobi. “The timing of the attack remains unknown but there are reasons to believe the potential attack is in the last stages of planning,” it stated. It warned of “credible information” suggesting attacks on Nairobi hotels and key government buildings. After writing that it was expected the group might carry out a serious revenge attack against the Government of Kenya within the next few weeks/months, it continued: “The staff should remain alert in residential areas and at outdoor recreational events and avoid potential symbolic places.”
So next week, my inner circle are going to get together
and put in place a contingent plan if, god forbid, something like the Westgate
Siege was to happen again. We must warn
each other, so at least if something happens we know where each other are and
can alert who ever we need to. Have a
plan on who do we contact, make sure phone is always on and has airtime, enough
battery time and just small things like that in an emergency should be
(touchwood) needed. Are we over
reacting? I don’t think so, certainly
with all this additional information coming through. I believe that for warned is for armed and if
it makes us feel better and prepared then I think that is all a good thing
considering the current conditions and the unknown of what is to come from the
Al-shabab, if we are to believe the reports coming through of another imminent
attack.
Stay safe, stay strong and don’t let these terrorists
rule our lives in fear.
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