Letters

LETTERS: Revamp counter-terrorism tools to win

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Security officers at 14 Riverside Drive in Nairobi, the scene of a terrorist attack on January 15, 2019. PHOTO | NMG

Ordinarily, the month of January in Kenya is quieter than December, the season of of holiday activities.

But January 15, 2019 will go down in history as the day when terrorists attempted to test again, the resilience of the Kenyan people through an attack at the posh DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi that left a number of people dead and many injured.

In what was explained as a well-coordinated activity, the attack came when it was little expected despite reports by the international media that the Kenyan security agencies failed country by not taking heed of the warnings that were repeatedly given to them.

But monitoring a militant group whose operations are a web and whose ultimate aim is to kill and to be victorious by spreading fear is quite a herculean task.

Terrorism is a global threat that affects all of us.

The DusitD2 attack came on the third anniversary of the El Adde attack that saw several soldiers die in the war-torn country of Somalia.

Prior to that, the militant group was response for an attack at Garissa University and in a flashy city mall, Westgate, where 67 people were killed.

There were also pockets of attacks along the coastal strip in counties that neighbour Somalia, which have been largely contained due to the government’s relentlessness.

In November 2018, unknown gunmen abducted an Italian aid worker, Silvia Romano, in Kilifi. Efforts to rescue Romano are undergoing.

The anarchic situation in Somalia provides a conducive environment for Al-Shabaab and Al-Mujahideen, which are factions of the Al-Qaeda to operate.

The counterterrorism efforts led by the African Union Mission in Somalia, (Amisom) soldiers are yielding fruits and it can only be a matter of time before the enemy is defeated.

An act of terrorism, like the DusitD2 Riverside 14 attack, hurts survivors of previous attacks.

As the President directed, it is during such dificult moments when our lives are collectively at risk that our spirit of unity and patriotism matters.

Acts of courage by heroes who risked their lives to save lives are commendable.

Journalists who camped at the scene to inform the country of the development demonstrates that Kenyans are ready to serve when required to do so.

The good Samaritans including the Red Cross family who made it their responsibility to help take the injured to hospital told the world what Kenyans are.

The many heroines who on Wednesday morning made it their duty to serve the security people who had engaged the combatants by bringing and serving them with tea, porridge, water and snacks tells how mindful we are about each other.

To avert future terrorism risks, it is prudent thinking and rethinking approaches and techniques used in counterterrorism, constantly and continuously.

It is important leveraging on technology to combat terrorism.