National Police Service is on high alert following intelligence reports indicating that Al-Shabaab is planning to launch attacks during this Christmas season.
In an internal memo seen by Nai Haps, Timothy Odingo, Madaraka Sub County Commander said, the Somali-based terror group is planning attacks within Nairobi County to disrupt Christmas festivities.
The police have identified the Presbyterian Guest House and Conference Centre in South C and Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in South B, as part of possible places being targeted by the group.
The memo further says, “The group may also be targeting other guest houses and conference centres owned by churches as well as Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.”
The Nairobi West Mall, Capital Centre, Garden City Mall, and T- Mall have also been marked as possible targets.
According to the memo, Odingo called for the deployment of armed security officers in and around the vulnerable installations, patrols, impromptu roadblocks, and vehicle searches to deter the group from fulfilling its mission.
Al-Shabaab fighters claimed responsibility for a 67-person attack on Westgate Mall in 2013, and 148 people were killed in a 2015 attack on Garissa University.
The terrorist group has carried out many large-scale attacks, including a series of raids on villages near Mpeketoni in mid-2014, a January 2019 attack on the 14 Riverside complex in Nairobi, and a January 2020 attack on a US military installation in Lamu.
