TERRORISTS CANNOT KILL THE KENYAN SPIRIT!

a police man rescuing a baby 

On 21^st September 2013 as Kenyans prepared to go for the Safaricom 7s rugby tournament in support of the national team Shujaa, a group of terrorists armed with assorted weapons and explosives attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Westlands, Nairobi.  Survivors recount horrifying tales of how six terrorists walked into the main entrance, hurled a grenade and shot indiscriminately at the shoppers.

 It is saddening how they have killed 62 innocent people including children and seriously injured over 175 others. The survivors identified the attackers to be of Somali origin. They displayed a placard written in Arabic, anyone who could not read the statement was shot. They are said to have claimed to be on a revenge mission before opening fire. 24 hours after they attacked they are still holding hostages in some parts of the mall. The security forces have secured most of the floors and are currently working on flushing them out in the last sections and rescue the hostages. The alshabab terror group has claimed responsibility of the Westgate mall attack.

I simply cannot comprehend how anyone can maim innocent children, kill unarmed women and men in cold blood! What do these cowards expect to achieve by committing such heinous acts? Do they know how much pain they have caused us?  No religion calls for mass murder of innocent lives. They should stop claiming to be pursuing God’s will by massacring Kenyans because Islam is a religion of peace!

Let us not easily forget about this incident, instead it should serve as a wakeup call on disaster preparedness, terrorism and effects of corruption. The corrupt immigration officials who sell national I.Ds to aliens, unscrupulous border officials who let criminals and illegal weapons into the country for bribes, unpatriotic citizens who house the terrorists, and those who might have over heard their evil plans and choose to keep mum about it might as well have aided these savages to successfully carry out the attack .Though it may seem like small acts, their outcome is such a tragedy.

There is need for the government to equip our police forces with superior weapons and protective clad in order effectively deal with criminals. I would also like to urge all citizens to take a personal initiative in securing the country. Get to know your neighbors, report any suspicious persons to authorities and avoid going to such scenes unless you have a part to play in the rescue efforts lest the terrorists were luring crowds for a secondary explosion. 

I would like to laud and thank all parties involved in the rescue operations. From the fellows who used walkie-talkies to coordinate smooth flow of traffic on roads leading to the mall in order to allow ambulances and security agents easily access the scene. I am amazed by how policemen without any bullet proof vests went into the mall under siege, fully aware of the danger they are exposing themselves to in order to save lives. They deserve medals for such courageous actions.

Kudos to the Red Cross officials who have sacrificed all they can to give first aid to the victims and transport them to hospitals in good time. Media houses have also been on the forefront in helping identify where the hostages are hiding and coordinating with the security forces to rescue them. Keep up with the good job.

I urge Kenyans from all walks of lives to go out in large numbers and donate blood for the victims in the designated areas. Those with counseling knowledge are also needed to help the survivors and families deal with trauma.

Our hearts and prayers go to all those who have lost their lives in this tragedy, May you rest in eternal peace. Our heartfelt condolences go to all those who have lost their loved ones, we pray that almighty may grant you strength to endure this dark chapter of your lives. We wish a quick recovery to all those currently undergoing treatment. 

 For those still in the mall be strong and do not lose hope. I fully trust our security personnel will soon neutralize these senseless terrorists and bring you home safely. Many of us may not know you personally but we consider you like our brothers and sisters, may God be with you and keep you safe.

To the terrorists who have caused us so much grief. We are fully aware of your plans to stroke religious tension and pit us against another. You have miserably failed in this, if anything it has brought us together as a nation. What you don’t know about Kenyans is that despite diverse cultures and religions we are bound by a strong bond of brotherhood you can never severe.

You want to instill fear in our hearts but we are stronger than you, our forefathers lost their lives to free our country from the shackles of colonialism so we can live without fear whatsoever, your murderous acts won’t scare us. We shall rise again, relentlessly pursue you wherever you run to and bring all perpetrators of terror to justice. We will stamp out all terrorism cells within and outside our borders. The military incursion to Somalia is just the start. Remember You can never kill the Kenyan spirit!

May God bless our beloved country Kenya! 

 By Mark Maina

rescue operations underway