‘It was a traumatic experience that haunts me to this day,’ says Jane Kamau, survivor of Nairobi’s Westgate Mall attack, which claimed 67 lives
NAIROBI, Kenya
A solemn ceremony on Thursday commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Westgate Mall terror attack in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, which claimed 67 lives.
Ten years after the harrowing incident, Kenya has made significant strides in enhancing its police technology, improving vigilance, and strengthening emergency response capabilities.
The total death toll from the Westgate Mall attack was 71, including 67 victims and four terrorists from al-Shabaab terror group.
Among the survivors who lived through that day’s horrors are Jane Kamau and Mark Ochieng, two Kenyan citizens whose courage and resilience serve as an enduring symbol of hope and strength.
Jane Kamau, now 36 years old, vividly recalls the harrowing events of that day.
She was shopping at Westgate Mall with her younger brother David Kamau when the attackers struck.
Tragically, David was injured in the attack, and Jane’s voice trembles as she recounts their ordeal to Anadolu at the solemn ceremony in Nairobi.
“We were browsing through the shops, just like any other Saturday,” Jane said.
“Suddenly, gunshots rang out, and the world turned upside down. I grabbed David, and we hid, praying for our lives,” she said, adding that “it was a traumatic experience that haunts me to this day.”
“Remembering those we’ve lost is a heavy burden,” Jane says, her voice filled with emotion.
“But it also serves as a reminder of Kenyans’ resilience. We must all work together to combat violence and hatred,” she said.
Mark Ochieng, now 44, was at the mall for a business meeting when the assailants launched their attack.
“It was a nightmare come to life,” Mark told Anadolu at the event.
“The past 10 years have shown our strength, but we cannot let our guard down. Unity and resilience are our most potent weapons against those who wish to harm us,” he added.
“We remain heavy with the memories of those we lost, and today we remember them and stand in solemn solidarity with their grieving families, sharing in the weight of their unimaginable loss,” said Raymond Omollo, the principal secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, who led the ceremony.
Omollo emphasized that the Westgate attack served as a pivotal moment, instilling in the nation an unwavering commitment to upholding public security and safety without compromise.
Previously, private security firms had limited authority in responding to security incidents turning private security firms into a formidable component of Kenya’s overall security apparatus.
Omollo said since then Kenya has foiled numerous terror attacks on its soil, “this approach has yielded tremendous results in terms of the number of foiled terror attacks targeted at us.”
