Families mourn their loved ones

The first security guard to be killed when suspected terrorists attacked Westgate Shopping Mall on Saturday had only worked there for four days.

Mr Maurice Adembetsa, who was a manager with Securex Group, had been transferred from Mombasa where he had worked for one year.

Adembetsa, who was to work at Delta House in Westlands after the transfer from Mombasa, had been told by his bosses that he would only be at Westgate for 12 days.

His wife, Ms Eunice Kavetsa, 27, said her husband had been called to the main parking entrance by his juniors after the suspected terrorists arrived in four vehicles and refused to be inspected.

“When he arrived at the gate. The suspects sprayed him with eight bullets, killing him instantly,” Ms Kavetsa, a casual worker with the National Social Security Fund, said— quoting her husband’s colleagues who narrated the order to her.

ALLOW HIM TO TALK

“The attackers did not utter anything to Maurice. They did not even allow him to talk. They immediately sprayed him with bullets when they saw him,” she said

“He was in a suit and carried a walkie talkie, which might have made the suspects think he was a policeman.”

After killing the security manager, the terrorists rushed upstairs where Radio Africa Group was hosting a children’s cooking competition.

Ms Kavetsa accompanied by her father in-law Jackton Ombisa and other family members were at MP Shah Hospital on Monday to view the body of Adembetsa.

She said the hospital management had asked the family to collect the body.

The woman said she was informed of the attack at Westgate by a neighbour, whose son also works at the upscale mall.

“I watched the 1pm news on Saturday but didn’t know it was that serious. I tried calling my husband but he could not be reached. My neighbour also tried to call his son but he couldn’t be reached,” Ms Kavetsa said.

Adembetsa’s family hails from Kakamega and he has left behind three children aged 10, nine and six. Ms Kavetsa appealed for help to raise and educate them.

Also mourning the loss of their loved one is the familiy of Mzee Meshack Ullari from Kwanza, whose first born daughter, Sylvia Ullari, perished in the attack.

Mr Ullari said Sylvia worked with a tour company at Westgate, and was the breadwinner in the family.

“I was told that thugs had attacked Westgate Shopping Mall and killed people. I tried reaching my daughter Sylvia on phone but in vain,” he said.

Sylvia,25, had a Diploma in Tourism Management had worked at the tour firm for five months.

A survivor of the attack, Mr Sammy Maluki, who works at Nakumatt Supermarket, said he heard gunshots before people started scampering for safety. “I was shaken and hid with my colleagues at supermarket until 4pm when we were rescued. One of my colleagues is still missing,” he said.

Mr Maluki said he saw a woman fetching money from an MPesa shop but he did not immediately realize she was one of the attackers.

“She had a gun with magazine. She took all the money from the MPesa before she started shooting. She looked youthful and covered her face,” he said.

“She asked people if they were Muslims or if they knew the name of Mohammed’s mother. Those who were not Muslim or didn’t know Mohammed’s mother were shot and left for the dead. It was terrible.” He said the terrorist was in a black trouser and looked like the commander of the gang.

Mr Edwin Omoding, who also works at the supermarket, said the suspected terrorists entered the building at noon and started shooting.

“I saw three of them. They shouted that they were Al-Shabaab and that they had come ton revenge the invasion of Kenya Defence Forces in Somalia. They spoke in English and Somali. I hid at the meat cold room but was still hit by shrapnel,” he said. He said the attackers allowed three women, including one who said she was from France, to leave the building.