“Westgate Attack was Kenya’s Best Disaster Response” - Abbas Gullet

When I arrived at the Westgate Mall Attack scene, my first confrontation with reality and the enormity of the Westgate disaster was seeing the two French ladies (mother and a daughter) in a Pajero car shot dead on the spot in the main entrance. Going into the car park, the road was packed with vehicles and people had been killed there. The first thing on my mind was to remove the bodies and order a removal of others to clear the road. Immediately, it dawned on us that there were snipers at the top of the building. We were given cover by security personnel as we rushed to the upper deck of the parking, where we saw what no one wants to see. Red Cross ambulances were then on the way and being given access through all the checkpoints, but Red Cross additionally asked for all kinds of ambulances from other hospitals to come to Westgate.

I was to travel out of the country on that fateful Saturday (21st Sept). At about midday, I left my office for Lavington to pick my kids from school. By 12.30 p.m., I got the first phone call from one of my colleagues to say, ‘Something terrible has happened to my brother at Westgate Mall’, who at the point was being rushed to hospital. Five minutes later, I got a call from Nick Thuo (Red Cross Kenya, Emergency Operations Centre), saying: “Boss, Westgate is under siege and there’s a hostage crisis.” I immediately ordered him to get everybody on board, as many of our staff and ambulances to head to Westgate. This was my immediate reaction because I shop, bank and go to Westgate over the weekends, and any common sense would tell me that at the time of the attack, it was packed with people (Kenyans and non-Kenyans alike). By 1:00 p.m., I had decided I wouldn’t travel and drove to Westgate with my family. I parked the car on General Mathenge Road, leaving them near Nakumatt Ukay. The roads had been sealed by security so I decided to walk in to see what Red Cross could do. Going there, I was shocked that people were already there, Kenyans, security personnel, reserve police (some Asian) already helping people.

Word went round that there was a huge situation at Westgate and there was help needed. Kenyans rose to the occasion, to save innocent lives from the Shopping Mall by taking risks and going in floor-by-floor, rescuing people. Kenyans trapped inside, communicated with others outside, who tweeted Red Cross telling us where to find survivors. There were many humanitarian agencies, many organizations and multi-disciplinary security forces that also assisted, I can’t name them all. It was my role to simply coordinate the humanitarian intervention. There were many Kenyans who we can’t thank enough for what they did. Some brought food and water to the rescuers, still feeding soldiers on location. There were people who brought pickups to carry the dead bodies. Others, including diplomats and ambassadors, donated blood continuously.

The response to the Westgate Attack is one thing Kenyans can be proud of. By that Saturday night, apart from the hostages being held by the terrorists, there was hardly anyone hiding in the mall, who was not rescued. Westgate area is still not safe for people to go in; it might still be ridden with hidden explosives, forensic and pathology teams haven’t completed their work. While the situation at Westgate is still unresolved, no organization including Red Cross will authoritatively give you figures of missing persons. Our Missing Persons Program at Red Cross however, had over the last week of September got a lot of information, some genuine and others not. We’ve been trying to make sense of this. About 71 persons have been reported missing but we have not authenticated the figures and will not be responsible for them. International and local media, we understand the need for you to come up with figures but be realistic and sincere. Do not bombard the Government of Kenya and Red Cross Kenya for figures, in time we will all know and reconcile, sooner than later. The situation is not over.

If there was one emergency that was responded to, [like no other] in Kenya’s recent history, this was the one. Individuals, mostly ordinary Kenyans, sacrificed their lives. Soldiers were killed in the line of duty. [All these people], knew that they were going to make a difference by saving somebody’s life. We should be sad, on one hand, about what has happened to our nation, but we should also be proud that it has strengthened our resolve as a nation to deal with this problem of terrorism. If the terrorists’ intent was to break the resolve and spirit of Kenya, in fact it’s been on the contrary.

Abbas Gullet is the Secretary General of Red Cross Kenya. As of Friday (27th Sept), the amount contributed by Kenyans towards the Westgate Attack fund kitty was KES 102, 331,349 Million (30 Million from Safaricom). The fund is managed by Red Cross Kenya and will set off hospital bills of survivors among others services like trauma counseling for victims, witnesses, survivors, volunteers and journalists.

By Abbas Gullet, as told by Anyiko Owoko.