Nairobi’s Eastleigh community has come out to denounce the Al-Shabaab terror group in the wake of Tuesday's attack at DusitD2 hotel complex.
For long, Eastleigh has been on the bad books of security agencies as a possible safe haven for terrorists.
Yesterday, the business community along First Avenue in Easteligh closed down their shops for an hour in solidarity with the fight against terrorism and to mourn those who died in the Tuesday attack.
One of the suspects in the DusitD2 attack was arrested in Eastleigh on Wednesday.
The business community said such developments have adverse effects on their businesses.
Eastleigh, and specially First Avenue, is known as a hub for textiles and cutlery.
“We cannot let Al Shabaab control us. They have destroyed Somalia and we cannot allow them to do the same in Kenya. Kenyans should not be afraid to visit Eastleigh and the President should know he has our full support in fighting terrorism,” said Mohammed Ali, one of the business owners.
Kamkunji MP Yusuf Hassan was categorical that they do not support Al Shabaab and it is wrong for anyone to associate them with the terror group.
“We are not Al Shabaab, neither do they speak for us. We do not agree with their ideology of killing innocent people. Easleigh is not a hub for terrorists. We will find them and flush them out,” vowed Yusuf.
Eastleigh Residents Association and Nyumba Kumi chairman Hussein Roba said: “We are not terrorists, we are businessmen and we would not like to jeopardise our livelihoods. Terrorism does not belong to any one religion,”
