NAIROBI, Kenya -- When the Westgate shopping mall reopened in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Saturday morning, shoppers and politicians poured through the security scanner into the glittering light-filled interior, in a rare moment of hope and closure.
Ben Mulwa, 34, was among the first five to escape the mall during the September 2013 attack, after hiding in a flower bed as the four terrorists walked by him into the mall. Their calm, expressionless faces haunt him to this day.
He was one of the first to return Saturday, arriving, he said, "to finish that business that brought me to Westgate mall," a lunch meeting with a friend.
"Today is an inspirational moment for us. Many people didn't make it, as we did. Today we are excited because we are back on our feet and we can convince the world that terrorism is not bringing us down any time soon," Mulwa said.
At least 67 people died in the attack, which was carried out by four gunmen from the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab in a siege that dragged on for days, with initial fears that the gunmen might have been holding dozens hostage. The number of attackers was also feared to be higher than just four gunmen, who freed those who could recite a Muslim profession of faith and shot down others, including children.
The attack showed how terrorist gunmen could inflict a devastating toll on a soft civilian target, without the need for suicide vests, explosives or bombs. Al-Shabab's attack on a university in the northern town of Garissa in April used the same template, when a small group of gunmen stormed the student residences shooting Christian students, and even taunting parents and loved ones on their victims' cellphones. At least 147 died.
Westgate Mall, once the country's most elite shopping spot, was closed after the attack. Its hulking empty frame conveyed not only the country's security failures in its battle against al-Shabab, but also was a grim reminder of other unpleasant moments: like the police who looted the shops left empty after the attack, the misleading statements of the authorities during the crisis and the squabbling among arms of the security forces that stymied the response.
Mulwa, a communications consultant, had been driving up into the mall's rooftop car park when the first shots rang out. He abandoned his car, the motor still running, blocked from behind.
"The shots went on so intensely that we had to get out of our cars. I went to hide in a flowerbed on the way to the rooftop. While I was hiding, I saw the terrorists walk through the entrance. They shot at me. I remember the particular shot that grazed my head. The bullet ricocheted off the wall and hit my leg.
"They shot the security guard who was right in front of me. He died in front of me because he was shot in the head."
The faces of the killers are still locked in his mind.
"Their faces were so cold. They seemed to be enjoying exactly what they were doing. They didn't seem to be perturbed at all. Their faces I'll never forget for the rest of my life."
Security was heavy at Saturday's opening with army and police vehicles, and guards patrolling with hand-held radio. Inside staff at a health-food shop held candles. The smell of coffee wafted over the shiny tiles, as customers filed into a ground floor cafe.
Inspector General Joseph Boinett strode into the mall, shaking hands with shoppers and greeting passersby.
"I'm glad it's reopened. It shows we will not be intimidated by these criminals and terrorists. We will fight back. We will lead normal lives."
A Section on 07/19/2015