Kenya security bosses hold crisis meeting amid laxity claims Updated
Sunday, September 29th 2013 at 23:22 GMT +3
0*by GEOFFREY MOSOKU and CYRUS OMBATI*
*NAIROBI; **KENYA: *Top security chiefs yesterday held crisis meetings over
the Westgate Mall terror attack that left over 60 people dead, as questions
lingered about the country’s counter-terrorism and intelligence strategy.
The day-long meeting at Harambee House came against the backdrop of reports
authorities had prior warning of a possible terror attack that was not
acted on and which has triggered a blame-game.Â
However, when Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku addressed the
media at 5pm yesterday, he declined to discuss purported leaked
intelligence briefings suggesting security organs slept on the job, saying
intelligence matters were confidential. Lenku said that nine suspects were
in custody, held under counter-terrorism laws, but their identities or
nationalities would not be revealed.
“It’s premature to release details now as that might prejudice on-going
investigations,†he told the press conference outside Harambee House. He
declined to shed more light on media reports that among those held is
Briton Sharif Ahmed Abdirizak, 35, who was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport. The reports said the suspect was attempting to leave
the country after the attack, and was allegedly carrying maps of the
Westgate Shopping Mall on his laptop.Â
Lenku said one of the cars used by the terrorists had been identified. He
said forensic experts recovered crucial items inside the car, including an
assortment of weapons used in the terror attack.
Lenku said police had so far taken witness statements from 56 people.
*Terrorist stormed*
He dismissed reports that some of the attackers may have escaped using an
underground tunnel saying security forces had secured the area and sealed
off all possible escape routes.
He reiterated that the attackers were estimated to have been between 10 and
15, and that five of them had been killed by security forces.
 Earlier, the security chiefs went into a crisis meeting at 9am, and
continued until evening.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Rachael Omamo, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Julius
Karangi, police boss David Kimaiyo, his deputies, National Intelligence
Director General Michael Gichangi, CID Director Francis Muhoro and Interior
Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo were among those present at the meeting.
At noon some members of the team hurriedly left with reports indicating
that President Uhuru Kenyatta had summoned them to State House, Nairobi.
They later returned to Harambee House to continue with the meeting. After
the 5pm press briefing, the officials went back into Harambee House but it
was unclear if the meeting progressed into the night.
The officials twice postponed the planned press briefing over circumstances
that were not immediately clear. Initially the briefing was scheduled for
12.30 pm but it was pushed to 3 pm then to 4.30 pm and finally to 5 pm.
Investigations are ongoing into the four-day siege at the Westgate Mall,
which began last Saturday morning when heavily armed terrorists stormed the
crowded shopping complex, killing at least 61 people and injuring over 200.
Officials said more than 1,000 people were rescued. However, the mystery of
some 71 people reported by the Kenya Red Cross as missing, and feared to
have perished inside the mall, was still unresolved yesterday.
Lenku’s position yesterday over the missing people perplexed journalists
who wanted to know the fate of the 71. He asked those whose relatives were
missing to report to the police and humanitarian agencies with the
information to also share it with the police.
Surprisingly, Lenku insisted that the attackers had taken no hostages at
the time Special Forces moved in.
*Spy chief*
The mystery deepened further after Kenya Red Cross officials said the
government had taken over the list with the names of those missing.
President Kenyatta had said bodies, including those of terrorists, were
buried under the rubble after three floors of the building collapsed.
Officials said investigators would take at least seven days to sift through
the rubble in search of evidence and bodies and to conduct forensic tests.
Today, MPs conducting a parliamentary probe into the handling of the crisis
will visit the scene of the terror attack.
Parliament’s Administration and National Security and the Defence and
Foreign Relations committees are undertaking the joint probe.
The team has put off a scheduled grilling of spy chief Gichangi so as to
prepare comprehensive summons targeting top security chiefs. “We are
meeting on Tuesday to draw a timetable on when they are supposed to appear
to explain the issue after which we will communicate to them and to the
public,“ said Ndungu Githinji, the chairman of the Defence and Foreign
Relations Committee.
Leaked National Intelligence Service situational reports claimed the
National Security Council was briefed of possible terror attacks in Nairobi
and Mombasa. Among those briefed on the terror threats were the army chief
and Cabinet Secretaries of National Treasury, Interior, and Foreign Affairs.
Foreign agents, including the FBI from the US, investigators from Britain,
Canada, Israel and Germany, are helping Kenyan authorities with
investigations.
The teams have taken samples from five bodies thought to be of terrorists
for forensic analysis in order to profile them.
The bodies are being kept at one of the mortuaries in Nairobi and none has
been claimed so far.
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