Global Terrorism Database statistics indicate that terror attacks reduced by more than three-quarters in 2015 from 2014 in Kenya.
The National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) says terror incidents have gone down even further this year with most of them taking place in towns along the border of Kenya and Somalia.
According to US-based National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism between 2008 and July 2015, Kenya experienced 340 terrorist attacks by local and international perpetrators, 986 deaths and at least 1,520 injuries.
But after July 2015 Kenya experienced three attacks with 21 deaths and analysis of media reports shows.
The reduction of the terrorist attacks can be attributed to Terrorism being business of all armed services that is police, prison warders, game rangers and the KDF and its shadowy intelligence resources whose methods are reportedly brutal but effective.
“What has helped the most is the improved coordination between the security agencies and intelligence-driven operations,” said Martin Kimani, the director of NCTC.
Lack of coordination among different security agencies have been attributed to the success of terrorist attack an example being the West gate mall attack that could have been managed earlier were it not for lack of coordination among the security agencies.
“The security forces are well coordinated now and base their operations on intelligence we are now focusing on disrupting, preventing and deterring terror activities rather than reacting to them.” said Kimani.
Other factors that Kimani included the realization that terrorism is not just an invasion but also very much a local insurgency and that community level intelligence gathering and action to prevent radicalization of youth, as well as to rehabilitate those radicalized, are essential.
Additionally, anti-money laundering laws are not only an inconvenience to corruption barons moving their loot around; they have also complicated the funding of terrorism.