The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation have taken over probes into the Dusit Hotel attack.
Interior CS Fred Matiang’i yesterday said the first phase was to neutralise the terrorists and the second phase brings on board detectives. The compound hosts Dusit Hotel, Brighter Monday, Cheki, Msingi, LG, Amadeus, CRA and Media Edge buildings, among others. The attack lasted 18 hours.
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi’s son and former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale’s daughter were among those rescued.
“I came here to thank men and women in uniform that the operation was executed well. Phase one is over and we now enter phase two. Dusit remains a crime scene. The public will not be allowed in until the detectives have done their part,” he told journalists at the 14 Drive Riverside.
Officials from the police, the Kenya Defence Forces and humanitarian organisations were present at the press briefing.
“We’re still compiling the details and will tell the total number of those killed. Eighteen people were injured and over 700 people were evacuated,” Kenya Red Cross Society secretary general Abbas Gullet told journalists.
French citizen Mamadou Dia said, “I thank the hotel for helping us. They first asked us to go to the first floor and into our rooms. They closed all the doors and kept updating us on what was going on outside. Terrorism is a global problem and it cannot stop me from visiting this beautiful country.”
