American, Brit, Aussie among 21 killed in Dusit terror attack; Israel embassy move link claim

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Early reporting so far not very clear on how Kenya connection to Embassy move is being made if these reports are factual:

US Embassy: Americans were meeting at Gem Suites and not Dusit

• Cyrus Ombati
• Posted on: 16th Jan 2019

US security agents beef up security at the Gem Suites on Riverside Drive, Nairobi where dozens of US citizens were meeting on Tuesday as the Dusit Terror attack took place.

Security was beefed up at the Gem Suites along Riverside Drive after news of terror attack at the Dusit Complex broke out.
Officials at the US embassy in Nairobi denied social media reports that a group of about 100 Americans that was meeting at the Gem Suites was initially booked at Dusit. “That is not true. They were booked at the Gem Suites from the start and that is where they are. Ignore the rest,” said an official at the embassy who asked not to be named. SEE ALSO :Developing story: Suspected 'terror attack' in Nairobi

Dozens of American security agents were mobilsed and sent to the Gem Suites to beef up security as the terror incident developed. The two hotels are about 500 meters apart. At least 14 people were killed and more than 40 others injured in the terror attack. 700 people were rescued. An American, British and Australian citizens are among those killed in attack.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/arti...ites-not-dusit

Inayat Kassam (left) evacuating victims of terror attack at Dusit D2 hotel in Nairobi on 15th January 2019. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]. Dusit attack revenge for US declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital - Shabaab

Jan. 17, 2019, 9:00 am
By EMMANUEL WANJALA @itswanjala

Tuesday's attack on DusitD2 hotel complex on 14 Riverside Drive was retaliation for US President Donald Trump's decision to declare Jerusalem the capital city of Israel, al Shabaab has said.

SITE Intelligence Group, an NGO that specialises in tracking and analysing global extremist groups, said the jihadists presented a detailed report on the attack through its media unit al-Mujahideen Movement.

https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2019...raels_c1879246

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Linked news story by same paper reports this attack has sparked calls for more civilian gun rights:

Group urges State to allow more civilians own guns

• Daniel Wesangula
• Posted on: 19th Jan 2019 09:57:26 GMT +0300

Inayat Kassam (left) evacuating victims of terror attack at Dusit D2 hotel in Nairobi on 15th January 2019. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard].

Tuesday’s terror attack, like many other previous ones and the eerily similar Westgate Mall attack, has revived another subtle debate on gun ownership. CCTV footage of the attack shows how the unfortunate events unfolded. One group of the militants entered a nearby office building, where they left a grenade in the lobby before shooting into elevators and offices as they searched for victims up to the sixth floor.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/arti...lians-own-guns


In local media there also are protests againt NYT's coverage:

Kenya Media Council calls out NYT over Dusit attack image

Thursday January 17 2019

A woman hides behind a car at the scene of an explosion at a hotel complex in Nairobi's Westlands suburb on January 15, 2019, in Kenya. PHOTO | LUIS TATO | AFP

By JAMES KAHONGEH

The Media Council of Kenya on Thursday wrote to the New York Times over its decision to publish graphic photo of the DusitD2 terror attack in a story about the assault.

The council gave the publisher until Friday to remove the image, that shows two dead men slumped over a table at a restaurant or risk revocation of work permits of its journalists working in Kenya.

In a statement, the media regulatory body said that by publishing the sensitive images, the publisher had violated clauses 10 (2), 15 (1) and 21 (3) of Section 45 of the Media Council Act of 2013 that stipulates ethical reporting of grief and sensitive matters.

VICTIMS

“It is unfortunate that your publication, without due respect to the victims, families of the victims and Kenyans in general, chose to publish images that show victims of the terror attack,” the statement read.

MCK noted that despite covering other such attacks elsewhere in the world, the publisher has never used bullet-ridden photos of victims.

[RonZeplin]

Apparently it was a technology gathering.

One of Africa’s most innovative fintech startups lost six colleagues in the Nairobi attack

The financial payments company Cellulant said it lost six of its employees during the terrorist attack on Jan. 15 at an upscale hotel and office complex in Nairobi.

The employees, all male, comprised of the head of product development, three engineers, a quality assurance tester, along with the head of information security.

Cellulant operated an office out of the Cavendish building in the 14 Riverside compound. The assault, claimed by terrorist group al-Shabaab, left 21 people dead including Kenyan and foreign nationals.

In remembering their lives, Cellulant said the six had “put their lives on the line in a true act of leadership, selflessness, and bravery to save the lives of their fellow colleagues.”

Established in 2004, Cellulant offers mobile payments solutions, remittance, and digital banking services. It also manages a secure people and business payment platform Mula, a blockchain-based payment system for agricultural services Agrikore, along with the card and bank payment service Tingg.

The Nairobi-headquartered company has operations in 11 countries and was in 2018 listed among KPMG’s 100 leading global fintech innovators. Last year, it raised $47.5 million series C funding from private equity firm TPG leading it to be reportedly valued at 10.8 billion shillings ($106 million).

The announcement of the staff deaths points to the enormity of losses and how the terror attack has struck at the heart of Kenya’s budding tech ecosystem. Jason Spindler, an American co-founder of advisory firm i-DEV which is focused on growing businesses in the emerging markets was also killed. In its statement, Cellulant described their colleagues—Ashford Kuria, Wilfred Kareithi, Kelvin Gitonga, Denis Mwaniki, Jeremiah Mbaria, John Ndiritu—as “energetic,” “intelligent,” “curious,” and “happy” individuals.

https://qz.com/africa/1528791/kenyas-cellulant-lost-six-staffers-in-nairobi-riverside-attack/

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By Debora Patta CBS News January 18, 2019

Parents of American killed in Nairobi say it felt like 9/11 all over again

Nairobi, Kenya — American Jason Spindler -- one of at least 21 people who were killed when gunmen from the terror group Al-Shabab stormed a luxury hotel complex in Nairobi on Tuesday -- survived the 9/11 attacks and gave up his Wall Street career to help others in developing countries.
On Thursday, Spindler's parents traveled to Kenya to bring their son home.
"We knew once we heard from the embassy there was no question. We were going to come here and bring him home," said Joseph Spindler, his father. "We also wanted to meet with all his friends and thank them."

Jason Spindler
When news broke that armed gunmen had stormed into an upmarket complex in Nairobi, Spindler's parents said it felt like 9/11 all over again.
"He would have rushed in and tried to help people," Joseph said.
"Who imagines that their child is killed in a terrorist attack?" said Sarah, his mother.
But the unimaginable had happened.
After 9/11, Spindler gave up his high-powered Wall Street job to invest in developing countries, believing it was the best way to reduce terrorism.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/america...ll-over-again/