Recalling Westgate Mall attack

 

Wednesday marked the third anniversary of the bombing of the Westgate Mall in Westlands, Nairobi, by terrorists. The September 21, 2013, attack left 67 people dead and more than 175 others nursing injuries and wounds that will take time to heal.

The attack forcefully drove home the need for enhanced security in public places given the unhealthy attention Kenya has received from the Somalia-based Al Shabaab militias. It is encouraging that our security forces took up the challenge and have on several occasions forestalled other attempts on key installations.

This stresses the need for alertness not just on the part of security services but also citizens who need to actively participate in keeping the country safe. Like President Uhuru Kenyatta once opined, security starts with the individual.

Citizens should take a keener interest in their neighbours and the goings on around them. It could save a lot of agony if Kenyans reported suspicious people to the police, who on the other hand must shed their negative public image and treat the public as partners in combating crime.

Kenyan resilience and their refusal to bow to terrorists has seen Westgate Mall back on its feet doing business. Let’s keep this spirit burning.