As the country marks 10 years since the Westgate Mall attack, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said it has learnt from mistakes that led to the tragedy.
On September 21, 2013, members of the Somali-based Islamist group al-Shabaab launched an attack on the mall located in Westlands, Nairobi. The ordeal that lasted for at least two tense days left 67 people dead and many others injured.
According to the DCI, on the fateful day at around midday, the militants stormed the high-end Westgate Mall throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately at shoppers in a coordinated slaughter that detectives later discovered had been planned for months.
Investigations revealed that Shabaab militants based in Somalia joined efforts with their contacts at the Kakuma refugee camp and in Nairobi on the attack. They avoided detection from detectives thanks to the then lax procedures in obtaining mobile phone SIM cards which they used to communicate.
As sleuths later found out, eight mobile phone lines directly linked to the attack were registered in Nairobi and switched on days to the attack.
“Based on our response following the attack, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations learnt from its mistakes and has since then put in place mitigating measures to ensure that such an attack does not occur,” posted the DCI on their X (formerly Twitter) page.
The DCI noted one of the strategies was developing the human resource capacity of its officers to respond to the contemporary security demands of time.
Consequently, the DCI’s Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) was upgraded and a highly specialised counterterrorism and hostage rescue tactical team – the Emergency Response Team (ERT) established. The highly- trained and highly motivated team remains on standby 24/7 for any terror-related eventuality.
“Additionally, an anonymous, toll-free call centre dubbed #FichuakwaDCI was established at DCI Headquarters to specifically handle calls related to serious crimes such as terrorism, human trafficking and armed robberies among others,” said the DCI
“The call centre which receives about 50 calls in a day, half of which are actionable, has revolutionized the manner in which we gather verifiable information and respond in time before criminal acts are committed. These among other measures including embracing the multi-agency approach in responding to security threats have ensured that the safety and security of every citizen has been assured.”
