Westgate Shopping Mall to Re-open this Saturday

The upscale Westgate shopping mall is set to re-open, two years after a terror attack, amid many unanswered questions over what happened during the four-day siege.

As city officials toured the site of one of Kenya’s worst terror attacks, where Somalia’s Al-Shabaab killed at least 67 people as they dinning and shopping, it was easy to forget the grisly events that happened there as the bullet holes are plastered over, the shattered glass restored.

Speaking during the visit to the mall, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero said “Terrorism may have injured and killed our loved ones but they did not succeed in killing our spirit and determination to rebuild. I will ensure the mall is restored to its former glory.”

Although Nakumatt Supermarket at Westgate is set to resume business on Saturday, filling the additional space that will feature branded shops focused on luxury goods such as fashion, accessories and gifts, cafes and restaurants in the mall will not start up again until some months later.

Westgate Shopping Mall continues to fight for compensation from insurers when it reopens, 38 months after it was ruined during the attempt to flush out Al-shabaab attackers who killed 69 people. Sony Holdings Ltd, who owns the mall, said it suffered a major challenge in the reconstruction of phase one which cost Sh1.7 billion after the insurer – Kenindia Insurance – failed to provide the required funds.

People living in the neighborhood near Westgate are cautiously awaiting the mall’s return; with some still nervous and a little scared. This should not be a problem now since a private Israeli company has been put in charge of running security at Nairobi’s Westgate mall. The International Reserve Group (IRG), has been in Kenya for about five years, offering a wide range of security products and services to local clients including State House, the American, French and Israeli embassies among others.

New security features at the mall will include explosive detectors, luggage X-rays, scanners to check underneath cars, bollards to prevent car bombs and bullet-proof guard towers.