Fascist Islamist Attackers will never break Kenyan spirit

http://www.nation.co.ke/

The deadly attack on Westgate Mall Saturday has once again reminded Kenyans of the need to remain vigilant against people who thrive on senseless violence. While it is too early to draw firm conclusions, initial reports indicate that the violent assault on one of the capital’s biggest malls was consistent with a terrorist attack. Today, as we mourn the dead and nurse the injured, it is more important than ever for Kenyans to stand together as one — notwithstanding creed, race, religion, gender or political persuasion — and emerge stronger from this misfortune. The dark intentions of our enemies are to spread fear and despondency, and eventually bend us to their dishonourable whims. It is a pleasure this great nation must not afford them. Kenyans have in the past proved resilient in the face of such attacks. Indeed, for the past few years, following several suspected terrorist onslaughts blamed on Somalia’s al-Shabaab militia and their sympathisers, the country’s security apparatus has taken obtrusive steps to improve safety. Metal detectors and body searches have become part of our urban life since 2011, when the Kenya Defence Forces moved into Somalia to fight the terror group, a mission that has so far been largely successful. Frisking people at the entrance of most buildings in major towns is standard practice. And we are aware numerous attacks have been prevented in the past through sound intelligence and co-operation with foreign security agencies. Saturday's attack was a tragic reminder that, for all their efforts, the forces which look after us are not perfect. However, the emergency response, and the subsequent intervention by police and the military at Westgate, was commendable. Swift support by public-spirited Kenyans, some of whom took the injured to hospital and even donated blood, gladdens the heart. Updates by the Ministry of Interior and the Inspector-General of Police, including on social media, averted panic and squelched rumours. Nonetheless, questions are bound to be asked about Kenya’s level of security alert. That a group of more than 10 heavily armed men could plan and execute an attack of this magnitude in one of the capital city’s busiest shopping and recreation locations is disturbing. Such operations demand elaborate planning and co-ordination, something the intelligence network should uncover and deter or, at the very least, detect in order to take precautions. After the mourning, it will be necessary to shine the spotlight on the state security system that ordinary citizens, and foreign visitors, rely on to protect our borders and ask the question: How was the Westgate attack allowed to happen? The past two months have been an unhappy season for Kenya. First the Jomo Kenyatta Airport fire, then this. A struggling economy such as Kenya’s can only take so much strain on its foundations. We cannot afford the perception of instability and insecurity that such incidents provoke. The basis of our country’s existence is a democratic system hinged on the rule of law. Groups and individuals which plan and execute attacks like yesterday’s base their logic on hate, sectarian ideology and defensive failure. In the end, they are cowards who indiscriminately kill and maim innocent people, including children. They must never be allowed to break the true Kenyan spirit.