This archive report was first published on 10 May 2020.
On the eve of Ramadhan, Kenya's security forces were on high alert, thwarting planned attacks by the Somalia-based militant group al-Shabaab, a confidential security brief seen by Nyakundi Report shows.
The collaboration between the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) played a crucial role in foiling the attacks, which would have seen a number of abductions and hijacking of government vehicles.
According to the brief, al-Shabaab has upscaled targeted attacks both in Kenya and Somalia, establishing parallel operational administrative structures in five of the seven Federal member states, including the capital city, Mogadishu.
The group has also infiltrated the Federal Government of Somalia, occupying key positions, receiving financial support, and influencing decision-making.
Al-Shabaab's ultimate goal is to ascend to political power in Somalia and create an Islamic caliphate in the Eastern Africa region, the brief notes.
The attacks are part of the campaign to force President Uhuru Kenyatta to withdraw KDF troops from Somalia, where they are battling the terror group as part of the effort to pacify the troubled nation.
Additionally, the dominance of news on the coronavirus outbreak has led to a scaling down of al-Shabaab's operations, as the group seeks to hog the limelight.
The minimal movement of people occasioned by the dusk-to-dawn curfew and the concerted campaign by the government to have citizens stay at home to beat the pandemic have also hindered the group's ability to target huge crowds.
A government source familiar with the operations revealed that the numerous roadblocks mounted across the country to enforce curfew and the restriction on movement have been effective in stopping the movement of militants and their agents.
Weeks before the world's attention shifted to fight Covid-19, the Interior ministry and the United States of America (US) warned airlines against overflying parts of the Kenyan airspace, citing possible terror threats.
Al-Shabaab has compromised and manipulated key sectors of Somali society, including the government, parliament, and the clan system, to further its interests.
The group has been threatening elders to select candidates who are friendly and accommodative to their ideology, thereby establishing close links with members of parliament and influencing policy formulation.
A sizeable number of Shabaab leaders and Somali government political leaders were part of the defunct Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), hence they relate well and influence decisions on either side.
Al-Shabaab has also been forcefully collecting zakat (taxes) in urban and rural areas within the five regional states, especially in South Central Somalia and Benadir, where the Federal Government of Somalia does not have full control.
A Forum for National Parties in Somalia has written to President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, asking him to clean up the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), which they allege is entertaining the outlawed group.
