Kenya, Britain unveil Sh81m ATPU headquarters in Mombasa

The war against terrorism in Kenya has received a major boost with the completion of the Sh81 million Anti-Terrorism Police Unit complex at the Coast regional police headquarters in Mombasa.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the new centre, whose construction was started in 2016, marks an important milestone in the fight against terrorism.

The building has modern rooms, including storage areas, conference room, IT room, server area, armoury and CCTV room.

It also has nine holding cells for male, female and juvenile suspects, all fitted with fixed beds, modern toilets and adequate ventilation.

The complex was funded by the UK government.

The Interior CS said the establishment of this modern purpose-built police station was through the UK-Kenya Security Compact agreed in 2018 and the incorporation of the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership 2020- 2025.

“With the assistance of our partners, we have steadily grown our capabilities to confront terrorism and other transnational crimes,” Matiang’i said. 

“We are immensely grateful to the people of the United Kingdom, through the British High Commission (Nairobi), for our continued warm and cordial working relationship and particularly on Counter Terrorism.”

Matiang'i further said terrorism remains an ever-present and evolving national and international security threat, therefore the national government is planning to establish more ATPU centres in the country.

According to the CS, Kenya experienced its first terrorists attack in 1975 at the Starlight nightclub and in a travel bureau near the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi.

1n 1980, another terrorist attack hit the Norfolk Hotel that was frequented by foreign nationals and on August 7, 1998, al-Qaeda terrorist cells in Kenya masterminded the bombing of the United States embassy in Nairobi, killing 213 people.

The most recent cases are that of September 21, 2013, where al-Shabaab terrorists attacked the Westgate Mall, killing 67 Kenyans and the June 2014 incident where more than 60 people were killed in attacks near Mpeketoni, Lamu county.

Matiang’i also mentioned the January 2019 attack at the DusitD2 complex in Riverside, Nairobi, where four gunmen attacked and killed 21 people.

 “I share this sad history to show how it has become necessary for the country to invest heavily in modern anti-terrorism and counter-terrorism efforts through bilateral, multilateral and global cooperation and partnerships,” he said.

The British High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott, said Kenya is the UK’s premier security partner in East Africa.

She said terrorism is one of the biggest threats facing Kenya and the UK, and therefore, to counter this threat, the UK will continue financing Kenya’s counterterrorism efforts with Sh1 billion annually.

“A primary focus of this partnership is to strengthen counter-terrorism capacity within the criminal justice system, in line with international human rights standards,” she said.

Marriott further said the UK is among the highest contributors of foreign tourists to Kenya, therefore, there is need to ensure their safety.

In 2019, she said, Kenya received more than 181,000 British nationals.

“We have to keep them safe, and the only way we can do that is by working with the government of Kenya by supporting it to ensure that Kenya is safe for its citizens and the tourists,” she said.

The new centre, she said, will provide a dedicated space for the ATPU to work on terrorism cases.

It will also allow direct access to the ATPU for the public, creating more awareness about the ATPU’s work and strengthening its relationship with the local community.

Human rights compliance and international standards such as the Mandela Rules have been at the heart of the building’s design, she said.

“It is a testament to the UK and Kenya’s shared commitment to the rule of law and international human rights,” she said.

“The UK works with stakeholders across the criminal justice pathway, including investigators, detention supervisors, prosecutors and the Judiciary, all of whom are key to preventing and disrupting terrorist activity.”

She said over the last year, the UK has supported Kenya’s ATPU with various activities, including trainings on terrorist financing, witness interviews and Improvised Explosive Devices.

The new building has dedicated spaces for different ATPU teams — investigations, evidence analysis and forensics, enabling them to work together under one roof.

It also has a multi-agency room for the ATPU to invite in and to work closely with other national security agencies and international partners in a secure environment.  

(edited by Amol Awuor)