Kenya prevented 47 terror attacks over the past two years, according to the State.

Kenya has successfully prevented 47 terrorist attacks across the country in the past two years, according to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Speaking on Thursday, Mudavadi revealed that these efforts took place between January 2022 and November 2024. During this period, several terrorists were neutralized, and the government secured 11 successful convictions.

“These convictions are a result of strong partnerships and collaborations,” Mudavadi noted, highlighting the support Kenya received from international agencies. “We benefited from training and equipment from the US, UK, Canada, Israel, Japan, China, and Korea.”

Mudavadi expressed satisfaction with the country’s progress in combating terrorism and violent extremism. This progress is reflected in the Global Terrorism Index, which showed a decline from a “very high” to “medium” rating from 2023 to 2024.

The attempted attacks targeted civilians, critical infrastructure, security establishments, and foreign interests. Notably, an attack on a BPU camp was repelled, and terror threats were further reduced with the arrest of al-Shabaab suspects in Lamu. Additionally, an attack on a GSU patrol in Lamu was thwarted, and seven suspects were apprehended, firearms were seized, and a robbery in Kwale was prevented.

On January 9, 2024, a report from counter-terrorism agencies revealed that police had foiled 30 potentially deadly terrorism incidents that year. These operations, led by intelligence, were part of pre-emptive counter-terrorism measures.

The report indicated that these thwarted attacks were orchestrated by al-Shabaab and Daesh terror cells, as well as their regional affiliates. The activities of Daesh in Kenya are linked to groups like the Islamic State in Somalia (IS-Somalia), the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), also known as the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Islamic State in Mozambique (IS-Mozambique). These groups engage in local and regional operations, including fund transfers, recruitment, and media propaganda, particularly via online platforms.

In 2023, former Interior CS Kithure Kindiki stated that at least 500 lives had been lost to terror attacks in Kenya since the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi by Al-Qaeda. This included 213 fatalities in the 1998 bombing (201 Kenyans and 12 Americans), 67 deaths in the 2013 Westgate mall attack, and 148 fatalities in the 2015 Garissa University attack, most of whom were students.