President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday warned the financiers and planners of terror attacks that their days are numbered.
The President said the government will relentlessly pursue and punish them.
He was addressing the nation following the Tuesday Dusit D2 terrorist attack in which 14 people were killed. More than 700 others were safely evacuated.
Another 94 reported missing by the Kenya Red Cross Society, 44 were later accounted for. The families of the other 50 were anxiously waiting for further reports by press time.
At the adjacent Chiromo Mortuary, bereaved families wept uncontrollably, mourning their loved ones.
About 30 people were treated at MP Shah Hospital, Avenue Hospital, Coptic Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital. Some required specialised care.
Yesterday, DCI chief George Kinoti confirmed that two people suspected to have links with Tuesday’s terror attack had been arrested in Nairobi’s Eastleigh and Ruaka estates.
The attack happened the same date as the 2016 El Adde attack in Somalia, which left more than 170 KDF soldiers dead.
Yesterday, Uhuru assured the nation that Kenya will remain unbowed.
All the terrorists who stormed the upscale 14 Riverside Drive complex were gunned down, ending the 24-hour siege. They had hurled grenades and shot at whoever was on sight. The complex houses the Dusit D2 Hotel and offices of several multinational companies and NGOs.
“The security operation at Dusit is over and all terrorists have been eliminated,” the president said after chairing the National Security Council meeting.
“We’ll seek out every person that was involved in the funding, planning and execution of this heinous act. We’re a country governed by laws, rules and regulations, a country that embraces peaceful coexistence. We are also a nation that never forgets those who hurt our children.”
Interior CS Fred Matiang’i had earlier announced the end of the siege, but gunfire and explosions were heard again early yesterday.
At 11pm on Tuesday, Matiang’i had said all the buildings in the complex had been secured.
“The situation is under control and the country is safe,” he told reporters. “Terrorism will never defeat us.”
But just an hour later, gunfire and sporadic explosions were reported. This was followed by heavy gunfire at about 7am.
Security forces combed their way through the building where frightened workers had holed up, rescuing more than 100 in the early hours of yesterday.
“We’ve dealt with the threat decisively and shown our enemies and the world that we are ready to deal with any threat to our nation,” Uhuru said while commending security forces for swift response and proper coordination.
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The President called on all Kenyans to report suspicious activities to prevent further loss of lives.
“We secure our families, communities and our nations by building a seamless partnership. We should not allow these people any shelter among us. I urge you to inform the police or any authority of suspicious individual or actions that you may notice in your day-to-day lives,” he said.
Opposition chiefs Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka urged Kenyans to stand together. The two addressed journalists at a joint briefing at Capitol Hill. They appealed to the public to be steadfast and resilient in the anti-terror war.
“Our goal must remain the ability to completely keep these forces of evil out of our borders and weed them entirely out of our midst. As a nation, we must reject division of all sorts — religious, ethnic, regional or even political,” Raila said.
“The terrorists who attacked us this past day did not seek to know the tribes, religion, party affiliation or region of origin of the victims.”