Wednesday January 16, 2019
Margaret Kalekye/Millicent Awour
Matiang’i has maintained Kenya is safe and visitors and locals can go about their normal routine.
A rescue operation is still going on at the Dusit-2 complex on 14 Riverside Drive in Westlands, Nairobi, which was attacked by suspected terrorists.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has assured that the country is safe saying that all the buildings in the complex had been secured by security forces.
” Mopping up process still underway. No further threat to the public exists. Civilians who had been secured in one building by security while mopping up continues now safely evacuated. All buildings and surrounding area secure…The situation is under control and the country is safe. Terrorism will never defeat us, ..” he told reporters,”.
He added that President Uhuru Kenyatta has been updated on the situation.
It is however not known the number of people who were injured or those who died following the 3 pm attack on Tuesday.
At least 50 more people have been rescued and reunited with their families who had been camping outside Dusit Hotel complex for over 10 hours. Several victims who were rescued yesterday were treated and discharged from various hospitals within Nairobi.
At the Avenue hospital, 17 victims were received with 12 being treated and discharged.At the MP Shah hospital, the Chief Operations Officer Tofeef Din said they received six victims with five in stable condition and one fatality. By Tuesday evening the Aga Khan Hospital had admitted three victims.
Kenyatta National Hospital also received more attack victims some of whom were treated and discharged. Most of the victims had gunshot wounds. Authorities in these institutions thanked Kenyans for turning out to donate blood. Blood donations can still be made today.
Kenya Red Cross has provided a tracing hotline 0715820219 where families searching for their loved ones can receive help. One can also call the Directorate of Criminal Investigations through 0721141282 or 0722839978.
Kenyans have however been warned against re-tweeting or forwarding propaganda regarding the attack.
Meanwhile, Matiang’i has maintained Kenya is safe and visitors and locals can go about their normal routine.
Addressing reporters at 10.47 pm on Tuesday, Dr. Matiang’i assured Kenyans that the government is in control of the situation at the Dusit-2 hotel along Riverside 14 Avenue where suspected Al-Shabaab militants struck 3.30 PM on Tuesday.
In a terse statement, Dr. Matiangi condemned the attack saying the country will not bend to any manipulation by terrorists. He said a multi-agency security team under the GSU commandant Kirunji Kanja have secured the Dusit -2 and the larger complex that houses five buildings comprising several offices and shops. He said requisite Agencies are mopping out the area, collecting and securing evidence.
“We have secured all buildings that had been affected. We are in the final stages of mopping up the area,” The CS said.
The suspected terror attack started at the I & M bank in the Hanover building, with an attacker later blowing himself up at the foyer of the Dusit -2 hotel.
Other attackers then hurled grenades at three vehicles before gaining access into the Hanover building and shooting indiscriminately.