Security chiefs hard-pressed to explain how powerful explosives entered Kenya

The country’s security agencies are on the spot over embarrassing security lapses that led to the deadly terrorist attack that killed 67 people, including civilians, security forces and at least five terrorists.

Also likely to come under serious scrutiny are the all-too obvious contradicting statements issued by senior government officials suggesting a deliberate campaign of misinformation or bungling by the government in a bid to down-play the magnitude of the terror attack.

Among those on the spot:

Joseph ole Lenku, Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government

As Cabinet Secretary in charge of national security, Mr Lenku was the “official” government spokesman, charged with giving periodic updates on the progress of the campaign to neutralise terrorists and free hostages.

In one such update, Mr Lenku appeared to contradict his Cabinet colleague in charge of Foreign Affairs, Ms Amina Mohamed, on the possible involvement of a white female terrorist in the attack.

Mr Lenku had also exuded confidence when he declared that the evacuation of hostages had gone “very, very well” and that Kenyan officials were “very certain” that few, if any hostages, were left in the building, only for President Kenyatta to reveal that there could be bodies trapped in the collapsed mall.

Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo

As the man directly in charge of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, charged with detecting and combating terrorism, Mr Kimaiyo will be hard-pressed to explain the agency’s failure to detect movement of the huge cache of arms to the scene of the terror attack.

He will also be at pains to explain the rather slow police response and the glaring absence of a central command and clear rivalry between the various police units and the KDF, leading to the fatal shooting of the GSU officer by KDF personnel.

Mr Kimaiyo may also want to explain a rather misleading tweet to the effect that his forces had “taken control of all the floors. We’re not here to feed attackers with pastries...”, only for bursts of gunfire to erupt from the Mall the next morning, indicating the terrorists were far from vanquished.

Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo
Ms Omamo will be hard-pressed to explain the likely possibility that external aggressors could have sneaked in, even as the Kenya Defence Forces under her watch engaged Al-Shabaab at its doorstep in Somalia.

Kenya Defence Forces chief, General Julius Karangi

Gen Karangi will need to explain the lack of a clear command between the various police units and KDF resulting in the fatal shooting of the GSU officer by his officers.
National Intelligence Service Director General Michael Gichangi

Mr Gichangi is on the spot over the agency’s failure to detect the movement of the huge cache of arms used and why the Service failed to detect the presence of the terrorists.

The agency came under severe criticism during an emergency session by Parliament, with the MPs demanding a major overhaul of the NIS, accusing it of gobbling up billions of shillings without any tangible results.

“The intelligence department also needs radical surgery,” Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye said.

Directorate of Criminal Investigation Director Ndegwa Muhoro

Mr Muhoro will be held to account over his Directorate’s failure to detect the terrorists’ presence, movements and operations.

The Department of Immigration

The department, which falls under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, will also be under pressure to explain the issuance of travel documents to criminals from foreign countries after it emerged some of the terrorists could be foreign nationals.

One suspect in the attack is said to be a foreigner holding Kenyan passport.

Kenya 'at war' with al Shabaab, faces security questions

Kenya is "at war" with Islamist militants who attacked a Nairobi shopping mall, the government said on Saturday as it faced questions about whether it had received advance intelligence warnings of the deadly strike.
A week after the raid on the Westgate shopping centre that killed 67 civilians and police and was claimed by the Somali militant group al Shabaab, the government has been trying to reassure Kenyans that it can protect them from further attacks.
Three Kenyan newspapers reported on Saturday that a year ago the country's National Intelligence Service (NIS) had warned of the presence of suspected al Shabaab militants in Nairobi and that they were planning to carry out "suicide attacks" on the Westgate mall and on a church in the city.
In front-page stories, the Nation, Standard and Star newspapers questioned whether the Kenyan government and military may have failed to act on this and more recent warnings this year by local and foreign intelligence services.
"It is not a 'yes' or 'no' answer," Mutea Iringo, principal secretary in the Ministry of Interior, told Reuters.
"Every day, we get intelligence and action is taken as per that intelligence and many attacks averted. But the fact that you get the intelligence does not mean something cannot happen," the senior official added.
"What we are saying is that we are at war, and that every day some young Kenyan is being radicalized by al Shabaab to kill Kenyans," Iringo said, calling on citizens across the east African nation to be alert and cooperate with authorities.

The newspaper reports emerged ahead of a meeting on Monday of the Kenyan parliament's defense and foreign relations committee which is expected to ask security chiefs how much warning they had of Saturday's assault.
In the mall attack that extended into a four-day siege, gunmen fired on shoppers and tossed grenades leaving a trail of victims and shocking Kenya and the world. Al Shabaab said it acted in revenge against Kenyan troops who have been fighting it in neighboring Somalia for two years.
Britain's government said on Saturday a sixth British national had been identified among those killed at the mall. French and Canadian nationals also died.
The Star quoted another NIS briefing in February warning of a gun and grenade attack in Kenya similar to a three-day killing spree by militants in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008.
In an editorial, the Standard said the reports pointed to "obvious" security lapses. "It is becoming increasingly apparent that the country's top security organs may have received adequate briefing on imminent terror threats," it said.
 Why they did not act in time to save the needless deaths at Westgate is astonishing and dumbfounding," it added.
The possibility that al Shabaab, which has carried out previous smaller gun and grenade attacks in Kenya, may be planning further high-profile strikes presents a major security challenge for President Uhuru Kenyatta, elected in March.
But the incident has also rallied foreign support for him as he confronts charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He denies charges of orchestrating violence following Kenya's disputed 2007 elections.
FORENSIC PROBE UNDER WAY
Five of the mall attackers were killed and Kenyan authorities say they are holding eight people over the raid, which confirmed Western and regional fears about al Shabaab's ability to strike beyond Somalia's borders.
It also dented Kenya's vital tourism industry, although the Finance minister says it will not have a long-term impact.
Kenyan officials have not so far specified the identities or nationalities of the attackers, saying forensic investigation of the wrecked mall building and of the dead will take time.
This has produced a deluge of unconfirmed speculation that radicalized diaspora Somalis from the United States and Europe may have been involved in the al Shabaab operation.


U.S., Israeli and European forensic experts are helping Kenya in the investigation.
A week after the attack, the five-storey, beige-colored mall remained sealed off to the public. From outside, a spray of bullet holes was visible around one upstairs window.
A team of foreign officials wearing white protective clothing and yellow boots could be seen leaving the mall escorted by an armed man wearing a black flak jacket.
Kenyan and Western officials have said they cannot confirm speculation that Briton Samantha Lewthwaite, widow of one of the 2005 London suicide bombers, had a role in the mall attack. Some survivors said they saw an armed white woman.

Kenya requested a "red alert" wanted notice issued by Interpol for Lewthwaite, dubbed the "White Widow" by the British media, but said she was wanted in connection with a previous 2011 plot that was also linked by police to al Shabaab.
With the country's security services on high alert, some Kenyans said they were worried that the government may have failed to act on prior intelligence information.
 "It sounds like laxity. If you get warnings ... you have got to listen to those warnings," said businessman Vipool Shah.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY AFTER THEIR MAKING, SHOCK AFTER REVELATION THEY MIGHT HAVE MORE TO TELL KENYANS

Skip trials at own peril Fatou Bensouda warns Deputy President William Ruto

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has fired a warning salvo to Deputy President William Ruto that he risks arrest if he skips trial proceedings without permission of the judges.
The warning comes just days after the office of the prosecutor suggested somebody else should be sworn in on a temporary basis to discharge Ruto’s duties as deputy head of state.
“The Prosecution notes Ruto is not here (ICC voluntarily, but on compulsion of summons and risks arrest if he defaults,” Bensouda warned as she opposed Ruto’s plea to the Appeals Chamber to lift an order compelling him to be in court.
The Chief Prosecutor maintained Ruto is an accused person before the ICC and while presumed innocent, “cannot expect that life would continue normally”.
“The effect of the confirmation of charges is that a trial will ensue in the normal course and the accused, if not in custody, will have to make the necessary arrangements to attend that trial,” she charged.
On Monday evening, Ruto’s defence counsel Karim Khan lodged a fresh request to the Appeals Chamber to excuse his client from being physically present in court during his trial. Ruto pointed to the one-week adjournment following the bloody Westgate Shopping Mall (Nairobi) terror attack, arguing such breaks would result in delays in proceedings or interruptions of witness testimony.


But in her response on Thursday, Bensouda insisted Khan’s new argument including the tragic events at Westgate that led to the adjournment Monday do not change the reasoning of the Appeals Chamber’s decision.
Continuous presence
“The new facts raised have no bearing on the Appeals Chamber’s reasons for granting suspensive effect. If the trial continues without Ruto and the appeal succeeds, the results will be difficult to correct and the consequences may be irreversible. Therefore, the request should be rejected,” the Chief Prosecutor said.
For the first time this week, President Uhuru Kenyatta also requested Trial Chamber V(b) to excuse him from continuous presence at trial, citing his new roles as president.
Bensouda is yet to react to the application by the President.The ruling by the five-judge Bench and headed by the ICC  president Judge Sang-Hyun Song is expected soon.

About 13,000 soldiers from seven countries (Thailand, United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia) participated in Cobra Gold 2013, a joint, multi-national military training exercise which focuses on maintaining and improving military-to-military relationships among nations. And the training has been hosted annually by Thailand since 1982. During this year’s training, Thai soldiers got to show the U.S. Marines how to catch a cobra with their bare hands, as well as drink the snake blood to survive. Pictures continue

The judiciary is at crossroads in the wake of leaked emails revealing an institution caught in serious infighting with forces uniting for and against a common course. One faction led by Chief Justice Willy Mutunga is portrayed in the hacked emails as launching an onslaught against the Chief Registrar of the judiciary Gladys Shollei. The registrar has now issued a 24 hour ultimatum to the chief justice to institute a public inquiry over allegations against her as the chife justice says the registrar could be prosecuted over the hacked emails scandal. Ken Mijungu reports that the judiciary is headed for self destruction.

Frogs Spérm makes woman pregnant

The neck-less baby with its head almost totally sunk into the upper part of the body and with extraordinarily large eyeballs literally popping out of the eye-sockets, was born to Nir Bahadur Karki and Suntali Karki at the Gaurishnkar Hospital in Charikot.

Experts looking into this case concluded that the mother came into contact with spérms of a frog while bathing in a river. And coincidentally that was the exact time she was ovuláting.

The bizarre baby, however, died after half an hour of its birth, Suntali, the mother, informed. It was taken to the hospital after its death.
The news about such a baby being brought to the hospital spread like wildfire and there were hundreds gathered at the hospital to have a look. The police had to be deployed to control the crowd.

"We wouldn't have been able to save it, even if it had been brought here alive," said a nurse attending to the mother at the hospital, "This is an extremely abnormal case."

The "baby" weighed 2kg at birth and was born after the normal nine-month gestation period.

Suntali, already a mother of two normal daughters, was not suffering from any illness during the pregnancy.

Nir Bahadur, the father, says he does not feel any remorse for the newly-born baby's death. "I am happy that nothing happened to my wife," he said.

The gorverment should focus on this indicipline on the parks than following the fomer prime minister isues if this can happen in a broad daylight i think this is why the terrorist also come in a broad daylight since they understand the goverment is always practicing this watch? they are busy gurding the lovers who will gurd the terrorist???????????

Westgate siege: who is telling the truth?????????????????????????

My plain reading of article 2 (4) of the constitution tells me that any law that is inconsistent or in contravention of this constitution is invalid.
The terrorism act which was recently signed into law with its provision for detaining arrested persons beyond the 24 hrs before arraingment in court is in my humble opinion clearly in contravention of article 49(1) (f) of the constitution.

This is strictly a legal question & is about fidelity to the law & has nothing to do with empathising with terror suspects. Any terrorist, in my view, should just rot in hell. The govt had repeatedly stated that it's holding & interrogating 11 but yesterday stepped the number down to 8 terror suspects beyond the 24 hrs the law provides for before taking them to court. Rights of an arrested person, irrespective of reasons of arrest, are sacrosaunt, basic & fundamental, remember

How Wole Soyinka escaped the westgate attack

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said that the late Ghanaian diplomat and poet, Kofi Awoonor and himself could have been together at the Storymoja/Hay Literature Festival held in Nairobi, Kenya.
He said he was invited to the same festival but could not attend.Awoonor was killed by terrorists last Saturday at the Westgate Shopping Mall shooting in Nairobi.Soyinka said two commitments: a public conversation with a very brave individual, Karima Bennoune, an Algerian national, whose trenchant publication – Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here, and the annual conference of international investigators in Tunis, were responsible for his inability to attend the festival.
He said: “My absence was particularly regrettable, because I had planned to make up for my failure to turn up for the immediate prior edition. Participant or absentee however, this is one edition we shall not soon forget. It was at least two days after the listing of Kofi Awoonor among the victims that I even recollected the fact that the Festival was ongoing at that very time.
Soyinka spoke in Lagos yesterday during a memorial reading session tagged Humanity and Against and held in honour of the late Ghanaian poet.
He described the late Awoonor as a passionate African who gave primacy of place to values derived from his Ewe heritage. “That, in turn, means that he was thoroughly imbued with the spirit of ecumenism towards other systems of belief and cultural usages – this being the scriptural ethos that permeates belief practices of most of this continent. We mourn our colleague and brother, but first, we denounce his killers, the virulent sub-species of humanity who bathe their hands in innocent blood,” he added.
Renowned poet, Prof JP Clark explained why Soyinka and himself were not at the funeral of the late Chinua Achebe at Ogidi, Anambra State, blaming it on politicians that hijacked the funeral. He noted that Prof Soyinka and himself did not sit and plot action on whether or not to attend Achebe’s funeral in Ogidi.
Clark said critics might be wondering why a memorial is being held in honour of Awoonor in Lagos unlike when Chinua Achebe died.
President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Prof Remi Raji, who read from his collection of poems, The Fire Next Time, said of the late Ghanaian poet: “African literature has indeed lost an influential voice. The name, Kofi Awoonor, was very present in our minds as young students. Though I never met him in person, his writings have been influential. The ANA has sent a condolence letter to the Ghana authority. Today’s memorial is very instructive. His death is a reflection of the urban barbarisms in the globe today.”
Other scholars who read excerpts at the memorial were Prof Kole Omotoso, Prof Femi Osofisan, Dr. Wale Okediran and Lola Shoneyin.