Attack on Westgate exposes economy’s Achilles’ heel

Police officers respond to the terror attack at the Westgate shopping mall on Saturday. Below, security guards carry out an injured shopper.

By EMMANUEL WERE and KAGURE GACHECHE

When masked gunmen shot their way into Westgate Mall on Saturday, Kenya’s security infrastructure, arguably the weakest link in its global economic competitiveness, was exposed.

More than 60 people were killed and hundreds injured when terrorists attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobi’s Westlands area, according to figures released by Internal Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku by the time of going to press.

Al-Shabaab, the militant Somali group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

It is the worst attack in the 15-years since Al-Qaeda attacked the US Embassy in Nairobi, killing more than 200 people.

Westgate Mall, emblematic of the fast-expanding consumer class, is popular with foreign expatriates and middle and high-income earners.

Financial markets

Kenya has made significant strides in the financial markets, quality of education, governance of its institutions and its innovations in the mobile phone ecosystem, all of which saw it ranked 96th in the global competitive index released earlier this month by the World Economic Forum.

In last year’s rankings, Kenya was placed at position 106.

But security remains Kenya’s soft underbelly in a region where civil strife, an unstable Somalia and porous borders easily allow the infiltration of firearms and terrorists.

The global competitiveness index ranked Kenya 131st out of 148 countries when it came to security as a result of its “worrisome” record.

In terms of security, the survey looked at the business costs of terrorism, crime and violence, organised crime and the reliability of the police service.

This latest attack will test Kenya’s resolve in going after the Al-Shabaab in Somalia and improving internal security.

It will also test the ability of security forces to get to the root of how the attacks were planned, and if the terrorists numbered much more than the 10 to 15 said to have been holed up in the shopping mall with hostages.

The government has already shown intent to improve the security situation and bring to book those responsible for the attack.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, in a statement on Saturday, said: “We shall hunt down the perpetrators wherever they run to. We shall get them. We shall punish them for this heinous crime.  I have directed security agencies to be decisive in their response to this or any other threat.”

In June, the President noted that the government had set aside Sh4 billion for the procurement of modern security equipment each year for the next five years. It has also allocated Sh4.5 billion for enhanced security operations, Sh1.5 billion for crime research and investigations, and another Sh3 billion for financing the leasing of motor vehicles and fueling them for police operations.

This was the largest internal security spend in recent years, especially the money set aside for research and equipment spend.

In a volatile region, Kenya has seen its neighbours such as Uganda increase military spend because they are surrounded by countries that are in constant conflict.

Kenya’s increased investment is being seen as a move to safeguard its borders as well as deal with the growing cases of crime and terrorist threats and attacks that have had an adverse effect on the economy.

Indeed, after the weekend attacks, one of the biggest economic concerns is that travel advisories against visiting Kenya will see a drop in the number of tourists in coming months.

Already, tourism is hurting. Earnings from the sector dropped to Sh96 billion in the financial year 2012/2013 from Sh103.9 billion in the previous financial year.

The drop was attributed to the uncertainty around the March 4 election, the first after the 2007 election that was marred by violence.

Some analysts, however, argue that investors from Africa and volatile Arab countries may not be scared off by the rising cases of attacks because they understand that these are some of the risks of doing business in the continent.

But after the Westgate attack, other shopping malls closed or tightened their security, with Village Market immediately closing down on Saturday due to security concerns. It serves a clientele similar to Westgate’s.

Shopping malls have been an attractive investment for private investors because of the quick uptake by supermarkets, banks, coffee shops and other chain outlets.

Those who are putting up the malls say they are paying attention to security concerns.  

Vulnerability

“The terrorist attack demonstrates the vulnerability of certain public areas to attack,” said Michael Turner, the managing director of private equity firm Actis, which has a number of real estate projects in the country, including shopping malls.

“We will be working with our security consultant to make sure that Garden City [along Thika Road] is very secure.”

The 32-acre Garden City is expected to host East Africa’s largest mall and residential home.

Property managers say putting in place adequate security measures at buildings and shopping malls requires adequate partnerships between the government and security firms guarding these properties.

But some feel too much responsibility has been put on security guards’ shoulders.

“It is hard for guards to repulse any attack from gunmen. What they do is act to deter any threat,” said Thinwa Kagai, a property director at Villa Care, a property management firm.

He said most of the security services for buildings and homes in urban centres across the country are outsourced.

“The choice of security provider is based on how they are managed. There is a need to think through the kind of training they provide.”

There are at least 2,000 private security firms operating in Kenya, and there are those that feel guards would be better equipped to deal with crime if they were armed.

The Private Security Regulation Bill, which is undergoing stakeholder reviews, might be a first step towards this as it provides special licences for firms that have the capacity to bear the responsibility of armed guards.

But many private security players are wary of this provision. Kagai, who worked in Uganda for four years, says despite the presence of armed guards in that country, clients were still concerned for their safety.

“Once a week, a tenant would bring in a sniffer dog to go around the building as an added security measure,” he said.

A senior manager with a private security firm also felt there is no need to arm guards.

“There really should be multiple checks at malls and similar public places. Most companies don’t want to pay for that, or claim it would be inconvenient for customers to be stopped and frisked many times.

“But these buildings have to be really sure about who is coming in. Securing their customers may be inconvenient, but it is worth it if it means the difference between life and death.”  He asked to only be identified as Fred as he is not authorised to speak to the press.

He added that his firm, as have many other companies in private security, has intensified training in identifying terrorist behaviour.

Gun battles

“The expectations of the market on what guards should be able to do are changing, so we are beginning to redefine this job. However, do not expect a guard to engage in gun battles or detonate explosives. They are not the police,” Fred said.

But there are some Kenyans who feel guards have been shirking their responsibilities.

Ruth Njeri, a mother of three, and a frequent shopper in malls, said: “My biggest issue with service providers is security. They don’t take it seriously enough. That perfunctory check at the entrance to shopping centres just does not cut it.

“The guards are often chatting with each other and barely allow their scanners to do a proper search. They need proper training to understand the gravity of their positions. They are our first line of defence.”

According to Fred, however, guards can only do so much when faced with a threat.

“In the event that they suspect a person they are searching could be dangerous, they are supposed to signal their partner – which is why security checks have a minimum two guards – who is then supposed to inform a supervisor or call the police. The guard is just a first responder.

“As they wait for backup, the guard is supposed to make use of stalling techniques to prevent the entry of suspicious persons into a building. But this does not always work. The police are also not always available.”

According to the 2013 Economic Survey, the police department had a total 42,586 officers last year. This works out to about one officer for every 940 Kenyans, against the United Nation’s recommended ratio of an officer for every 400 civilians.

This ratio is likely to be worse this year, with the high number of government officials taking up several police officers to boost their private security.

With a police force stretched thin, the public has begun to expect so much more out of its security guards — creating an untenable situation.

It is hoped that with the increased spend, Kenya’s security levels will improve, putting foreign investors at ease and creating a more stable economic environment.

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