Fourteen people have been reported killed following a terrorist attack on Kenya’s five-star DusitD2 hotel, 15 January.
The hotel, located near the CBD in the Westlands suburb of Nairobi, has 101 rooms, a spa and several restaurants. It has three event spaces, including the 180sqm DStudios.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the siege by suspected Somali al-Shabab terrorists had been ended with militants “eliminated”. The President also reported 700 other people had been safely evacuated. The complex attacked by the gunmen houses the DusitD2 hotel and offices.
In a TV address to the nation, Mr Kenyatta said 14 people had been killed but 700 others had been safely evacuated from the complex. The President promised Kenya would “seek out every person that was involved in the funding, planning and execution of this heinous act”.
The attack is another blow at Kenya’s tourism industry which has been badly damaged by past terrorist attacks – including the 2013 Westgate attack where 67 people were killed and the 2015 attack on a university campus in Garissa that saw 140 people shot dead.
Kenya figured in the World Economic Forum’s list of Top 10 dangerous countries in the world and is the subject of travel advice warnings issued by many foreign governments. Al-Shabab is a militant Islamist group that opposes the Somali government but has also carried out attacks throughout East Africa.
Kenya is part of a regional peacekeeping operation that supports the Somali government.
A statement posted on the Dusit Nairobi website reads: “The management and staff of Dusit Hotels & Resorts is devastated at the incident which took place at the Dusit hotel complex in Nairobi on 15 January at about 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT).
“We are extremely saddened by this act of violence and would like to extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected. Our highest concern is the safety and well-being of our guests and employees, and we are providing every support we can.
“The local authorities have taken control of the complex and are dealing with the situation. We are in constant contact with the authorities and would like to thank them for their swift response. Our guests and upcoming reservations are being relocated to other hotels in the city, and the hotel is closed until further notice.”
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