Dedication

This is a picture of hope, courage, and when all is over, I would like to get the name of this soldier.There are many heroic acts, obviously, but I believe each one of us can find our point of redemption. For good updates google: MailOnline Westgate Bombings Updates Ruth

Terror in a Nairobi Mall: Dedication to those who have perished in the Westgate Bombings

Let me start by sending most sincere and heartfelt sympathies and condolences to families of those who have died or have been injured in the terrorist attack in Nairobi, as we pray for a quick end to the stand- off. My prayers and warm thoughts go to all those who have been personally touched by this tragedy in one way or other. May God the Almighty look over our KENYA and rescue it from the grip of terror and terrorists. May we find a way to ensure PEACE in this world, for everyone; that is my fervent prayer. I wish to thank the many friends and family who have called or written, and communicated in some other way, to check on us, to express their sympathies for us and all the people of Kenya. So far, 67 are dead, from the number released at the time I was writing this, and 175 injured as more hostages are still held and we have no idea how many more bodies are inside ( Thank God it has all ended).

As we prepare to go to press, the stand-off between a gang of terrorists and the Kenyan armed forces,was now entering its 4th day. September 21, 2013 will remain one of the darkest and saddest days in Kenya’s history. Westgate is an up market shopping Mall that serves many international staff, mostly UN, and the middle and high income Kenyans. But, many ordinary Kenyans go there too as workers and to shop and bank as it is easy to access even on foot and offers diverse services. It is a popular destination for families as many events are organized there, and that is how young children have been caught up in this. It is a bit out of the way for me, but then I remember shopping there for groceries, banking there and having a meal or coffee there with friends. Like many malls, it has an underground parking and outside parking lots as well.

On this particular day, September 21, a Saturday, my daughter called to ask whether I was watching the local TV station, and went on to mention that there had been an attack. Then I told her I had just seen a running news item on CNN. As I switched on the local station, there it was, the full story as it unfolded. A gang of gunmen, at least 10, fully armed, had stormed the mall through the front entrance, shooting sporadically and although initial fatality reports varied, it showed that some people had already been killed and many more were wounded, and that police response was swift.Initial reports were that the attackers were looking for those who could not identify the Muslim wording that was presented to them.

Almost immediately, it was confirmed to be more than an ordinary robbery, and it became clear that Nairobi was once again under attack, and a terrorist one at that. We have had other attacks in Kenya- in north eastern including in churches, in Mombasa, and smaller ones in Nairobi which have killed innocent Kenyans and even police and military personnel. Records show that in total, since 2011, more than 60 terrorist attacks have been recorded. But then, we have always just moved on. The threat has always been there and the challenge is what kind of mitigation and response mechanisms to put in place to assure Kenyans of safety? I recall as an ordinary citizen what made the Kenya Defence Force to go into Somalia. These internal threats and real attacks were becoming rather too frequent, causing the government to alert Kenyans to be vigilant and to report any suspicious persons or objects. Most recently the airport burnt down, leading to major loss of property and business. It is amazing,though, how quickly this is being returned to near- normalcy. Fortunately no fatality was reported in the fire at the major regional hub for international air travel. The fire is said to have started at around 3 am, a while before major international arrivals. We still await the official report of what caused the airport to burn. Before we fully recover from that, here we are, with this major catastrophe, an attack on a mall, a very busy Mall and at a very busy time. The whole day Sunday the number of the dead stood at 59, but by the night, 9 more bodies had been recovered in the Mall after a hot exchange of fire between the terrorists and the Kenyan forces. But who are these attackers really?

I recall the Nairobi US Embassy attack, in 1998, a Thursday at exactly 10.37am, when the glass of the coffee house I was sitting in came tumbling down and to date I still have a scar on my arm that reminds me daily of the horror of that day, how so terrified I was and how so hopeless and helpless one feels in these kinds of situations. A young man pulled me to hide under the table as I cried out: “what will happen to my children?”. I survived, but a Rose, and more than 250 Kenyans and a number of Americans did not. It took me weeks and counselling to recover from the survivor syndrome. As now, Kenyans came out in a big way, the Israel Government sent a squad to help remove the dead and the survivors from the concrete rubble.

And we sat there as they tried to rescue Rose, as she tapped to indicate she was still alive but soon the tapping stopped. This time we have mobile phones and some people holed up inside the Westgate mall have been sending messages to loved ones to say they are still alive. A woman who hid under a car in the parking lot was lucky to walk away, after more than 9 hours. This terror squad is said to include a woman, yet they shot even children. So far amongst the dead are Americans, Britons, Canadians, Ghananians, Kenyans (mostly), French, Korean, French, Australians and other nationalities.

At least 3 security guards (who normally man the entrance with just a baton in hand) were killed. A friend’s relative ( a lawyer who had gone to the Mall to meet a client) died from a gunshot wound in the face, a friend’s sister died from bullets sprayed in her tummy as she served customers by the door, children and very young people have been shot point blank. A friend’s daughter’s schoolmate, only 10 years old was killed.

Our own President lost a nephew and his fiancée, while a close kin was injured. It is said he had come outside to safety only to realize that she was not with him and then went back inside to look for her. The terrorists do not spare anyone, and most shamefully, the people they massacre are completely innocent. This cannot be right under any circumstances. A young media personality who had just got married in January and was in her 6th month of pregnancy was shot dead in her car as she tried to take off. She was in fact hosting a children’s event on the top floor of the Mall.

As if the Westgate Mall is not always busy enough on weekends, on this particular day it was extra busy.World leaders need to find a lasting solution to this menace. What is it? What should it be?

I feel like my country is under siege. Most Kenyans supported the Kenya Defence Force going into Somalia in 2011, because we were already under major threat and being frequently attacked by grenades. When innocent people live under these types of threats, the level of performance, and the degree of enjoyment of life diminish. Like all Kenyans would say: we need prayers. I would add, we need a solution to what now appears to be the biggest threat to world peace and progress this century and beyond. Kenyans expect our government to do more. Our borders are porous, our men and women in uniform and especially police are not well equipped, nor are they fairly remunerated.

We expect them to guard us, when they cannot even protect themselves. Am I apportioning blame? NO. What is here is that this is a wake-up call. Instead of politicians acting greedy and always in pursuit of how to enhance their paycheques, they should put their priorities right and design a comprehensive security system for the country, that includes properly remunerating and equipping the armed forces.

I have visited police quarters lately and they are nothing like the ones I lived in when my dad was in the police force in the 60s and 70s. Something has gone wrong and there is a lot to do, a lot and it all has to do with equity, of course. We also need competent people in positions.

There is so much to do, and each one of us can play a role in ensuring a peaceful environment, not just for ourselves, but more so for our children. At least 2 unborn babies were needlessly and senselessly killed in the Westgate terrorist attack.

May the souls of those who have died on Kenyan soil in this latest attack rest in Eternal Peace, may God grant their loved ones comfort and solace and may our leaders think, think again, and remind themselves of what they pledged to do, and then get on to do it.

Ruth Oniang'o