On 3rd of January 2022 at a village outside Witu area, more than 8 civilians were killed in a typical domestic terror attack. Some were burnt alive in their houses, some were beheaded, and others shot dead, particularly the males. The attack bears close semblance with the 2015 multiple attacks targeting non-local settlers. The attacks were claimed by the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat al Shabaab alMujahideen. The terror group also published a video making reference to the new Government of Kenya besides cited land and social-religious injustices as reasons they conducted the attacks.
David Goldman and the Strategic Intelligence CT team have analyzed these events today. The Witu attacks were orchestrated by a Grassroots jihadist cell (a cell composed of local residents who received militant training in Somalia and returned back to form a sub-group which will further the central terror group agenda domestically). Grassroots jihadist groups often mobilize funds from the local economy to support their underground system. According to intelligence, the owners of a ranch that borders the particular village paid the Grassroots Jihadist cell an unspecified amount of money to conduct the attacks. The owners of the ranching firm are ethnic Swahili, Somali’s, and Banjun and are closely linked with specific actors of the 1960 Shifta war.
This particular attack is classified as a domestic terror attack (Domestic terrorism is defined as : Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature. Domestic terror attacks are conducted often but not always by citizens of that nation and often with the intent to intimidate, coerce, or influence national policy).
The objectives of the principal perpetrators is to intimidate and internally displace the non-local settlers who live and farm near or in the said ranches and at the same time coerce and subsequently influence a national policy on the land issue.
Threats of such nature will remain high in Kenya largely due to the political season and possible change of the regime after the general elections scheduled for August 2022. The terror group will continue extorting money from local businessmen and ranchers. The particular ranchers paying for such favors are classified as direct financiers of terrorism thus can be charged with financing and participating in terrorism besides murder and displacement of civilians.
