The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has revealed three measures it took to combat terrorism as the country marks ten years since the Westgate Mall attack that left 67 people dead.

In a statement on Thursday, September 21, DCI noted that the Al-Shabab militants had planned the attack for several months without security agencies knowing.

“They avoided detection from detectives thanks to the then lax procedures in obtaining mobile phone SIM cards which they used to communicate. As sleuths later found out, 8 mobile phone lines directly linked to the attack were registered in Nairobi and switched on days to the attack,” DCI stated.

The DCI noted that one of the strategies after the attack was developing the human resource capacity of its officers to respond to the contemporary security demands of time.

DCI then upgraded the Anti-terrorism police Unit and established the Emergency Response Team to deal with any terror-related issues

“Consequently, the DCI-Anti-Terrorism Police Unit was upgraded and a highly specialized counterterrorism and hostage rescue tactical team - the Emergency Response Team (ERT) established. The well-trained and highly motivated team remains on standby 24/7 for any terror-related eventuality,” DCI stated.

A toll-free call center dubbed #FichuakwaDCI was then established at DCI Headquarters to specifically handle calls related to serious crimes such as terrorism, human trafficking, and armed robberies among others.

“The call center which receives about 50 calls in a day, half of which are actionable, has revolutionized the manner in which we gather verifiable information and respond in time before criminal acts are committed.

“These among other measures including embracing the multi-agency approach in responding to security threats have ensured that the safety and security of every citizen has been assured,” DCI added.