Kenya on high alert after Kampala twin bombing

By Our Correspondent, NAIROBI Kenya

Kenya security said Wednesday that it had reactivated all its known and unknown intelligence agencies to mitigate any threats following the deadly terror attack in Uganda’s capital Kampala.

“We are alert at the border in case those behind the incident try to flee here. Locally, we are also on alert in case of any planned incident,” said National police spokesman Bruno Shioso.

Shioso said they had activated security at installations across the country and heightened security within urban areas and along borders.

The warning is based on past incidents where attacks in Uganda were followed by attacks in Nairobi.

“While we remain on high alert to safeguard residents and their properties, we encourage the public to be watchful of any suspicious persons and activities within their neighbourhoods and report the same,” Shioso said.

Kenya deployed heavily armed police officers around key installations on Tuesday in response to twin suicide bomb blasts that rocked Kampala.

Uganda police said preliminary findings had shown the Allied Democratic Forces could be behind the attack. They are Ugandan rebels working with IS in DR Congo.

According to details reaching Taarifa Investigative desk, the operations in Kenya have been heightened in parts of Nairobi, Isiolo, Kwale, Mombasa, Lamu and the northern part of the country where terror cells are said to be active.

Kenya government says that most of these terror cells are run by returnees from Somalia. Most of those who plan attacks have been to Somalia where they joined al Shabaab militants. Some were radicalised in Kenya.

When they come back, some pretend to have reformed, only to receive orders from their masters to launch attacks. Security agencies following returnees and cells usually preempt the attacks.

Meanwhile, Security analyst Eric Gand has chipped in to assess the current security situation in the region saying that the  Kampala bombing is an eye-opener that all is not well in the region and Kenya must enhance its vigilance.

Sleeper cells are in Kenya and the terrorists are just looking for the right opportunity to attack.

Eric Gand, however, has reservations about the Kenyan leadership. “The biggest challenge is in the leadership, which doesn’t want to listen to experts trying to proffer solutions to the security threats posed by terror groups.”

“I myself have identified vulnerable areas that the security agencies need to to invest in to tackle the threats. However, it is sad that those in positions of leadership do not want to listen,” he adds.

According to Eric Gand “my approach is to start by depriving these terrorists of safe havens. Once we get rid of these cells, then we are able to start to address the real problem posed by terror groups.”