As a country, we’ve paid a heavy price but can’t afford to yield to terrorists

One of the terrorists who was gunned down by police during the attack at Dusit Hotel in Nairobi.

A lot of things may be horrifying but Tuesday’s terror attack in Nairobi really was. Indeed, the attack at DusitD2 hotel complex proved that terrorists and their activities are erratic and unpredictable.

True to what American veteran Jim Mattis once said, no war is over until the enemy says so. After a lull of four years, the Al Shabaab returned, killed 21 people and maimed others. But one thing is clear. The attack left us stronger in will and spirit. It proved that despite our shortcomings, we are a one strong-willed people whose unity is enduring. Without question, Kenya is a target and will remain so due to its immense regional importance to the international community.

We believe this week’s attack, which followed that of Westgate, Mpeketoni, El Adde and Garissa University, is a clear wake-up call to Kenyans. This is not the time to falter in our national anti-terror strategy. We welcome President Uhuru Kenyatta’s assurance that he will “continue every step to make our nation inhospitable to terrorist groups and their networks.”

We urge the government to forge more partnerships with countries and agencies that can bolster the KDF and Amisom offensive inside the troubled Somalia. The war against insurgency must be won at all costs because the risks of a rejuvenated Al Shabaab is too big to bear.

Basic security begins at home and everyone has a role in maintaining a situational awareness of his surroundings. For instance, how well do you know your neighbour? Have you reported cases of your missing kin to the police and does your pastor or imam teach radical ideas? The risk of radicalisation remains at an all-time high. It’s time we scaled up neighbourhood watch initiatives like ‘nyumba kumi’ to improve intelligence gathering and encourage shared responsibility in security.

Employers should improve emergency evacuation procedures for the work place, besides training on active shooter threat scenarios. Our security teams put up a well-coordinated operation at DusitD2. The emergency response was swift but it can be improved. Every intervention counts.