Kenya has thwarted 47 terrorist attacks across the country in two years, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said.
Speaking on Thursday, Mudavadi said this number was recorded between January 2022 to November 2024.
“During this period, several terrorists were neutralised and the government has pushed for 11 successful convictions,” he said.
Mudavadi said the convictions stem from the partnerships and the collaborations that they have been having.
“The trainings and equipment support from international agencies came in handy. We received training and equipment support from the US, UK, Canada, Israel, Japan, China, and Korea,” he said.
He said Kenya was happy to achieve milestones in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
“This can be shown with the global terrorism index score which decreased from very high in in 2023 to medium in 2024,” he said.
The attacks were planned against citizens, critical national infrastructures, security establishments and foreign interests.
Mudavadi said the attempted attacks were on BPU camp which was repulsed.
"There was further terror threats degraded and arrest of al Shabaab suspects took place in Lamu," he said.
The government also thwarted an attack in a GSU camp patrol in Lamu with another seven suspects intercepted; firearms recovered and robbery prevented in Kwale.
On January 9, 2024, a report by counter-terrorism agencies indicated that police foiled up to 30 terrorism incidents that would have turned deadly in the year.
The foiling of the possible attacks was done through pre-emptive intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations.
The report noted that the thwarted attacks were planned by al Shabaab and Daesh terror cells and their offshoots.
Daesh activities within the country have mainly been contributed by the affiliate's operations within the region like the Islamic State in Somalia (IS – Somalia), Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) alias Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Islamic State in Mozambique (IS – Mozambique).
Their activities traversed from local operations to regional logistical activities involving movement of funds, recruits/operatives and media propaganda, especially using the various online platforms.
In 2023, the then Interior CS Kithure Kindiki said at least 500 lives were lost due to terror attacks in Kenya since the bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi by Al-Qaeda terrorists in 1998.
In the 1998 bombing which occurred on August 7, there were 213 fatalities (201 Kenyans and 12 Americans).
During the September 21, 2013 Westgate mall attack by the al Shabaab, 67 lives were lost.
Two years later on April 2, 2015, al-Shabab carried out another attack at the Garissa University and killed 148 people, mostly students.
