This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
On January 15, 2019, a devastating terror attack occurred at Dusit Complex in Nairobi, leaving 21 civilians and five Al Shabaab attackers dead. The Director of Criminal Investigations, George Kinoti, was among the first responders, and his experience at the scene sparked a crucial idea.
With the help of a few officers, Kinoti arrived at the scene to find police officers on patrol who had called for backup to tackle the heavily armed terrorists. A backup of the elite General Service Unit and other armed officers soon arrived, and Kinoti thought of creating an Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) department within the DCI.
Six months later, in June 2019, Kinoti formed the Emergency Response Team (ERT) within the DCI, which began training in anti-terrorism and combat. Since then, the unit has been undertaking series of training in preparedness to counter terror incidents.
On June 4, 2020, Kinoti officiated the graduation of the ERT unit, which had trained in tactical operations, combat, hostage evacuation, and operational planning. Kinoti emphasized the importance of a well-structured staff development plan to overcome the terror menace.
Kenya's main terror threat comes from Al-Qaida linked Somali-based Al-Shabaab terrorists, who have continued to launch attacks, mainly targeting security forces on the border. The attackers often use Improvised Explosive Devices to launch their attacks, killing their targets, mainly security forces.
Kenya has faced several terror attacks, including the April 2, 2015 incident at Garissa University College, where 148 people were killed, and the Westgate Shopping mall attack on September 21, 2013, which left 68 people dead.
With the launch of the new DCI's ATPU department, Kenya's strength in tackling terrorists has become stronger. Kinoti assured that the team is ready and will be on standby always.
