Security bosses hold crisis meeting amid laxity claims

Police Chief David Kimaiyo, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Julius Karangi, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku and NIS Director-General Michael Gichangi.

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. 

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. 

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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