Factors Exposing Stalls in Nairobi Central Business District to the Crime of Terrorism

Terrorism attacks of late not only target key installations such as government buildings, embassies, and other critical infrastructure, but targets public institutions and individual enterprises characterized by little or no security, such as hotels and business stalls. This study was motivated by the fact that stalls in Nairobi Central Business District were attacked by terrorists in 2011, and no study has ever been conducted to address this attack. The objectives of this study were to examine the factors that expose stalls to the crime of terrorism and counterterrorism measures associated with the prevention of terrorism crimes against stalls. This study used the routine activities theory. This study adopted the descriptive research design that entailed both qualitative and quantitative dimensions of data collection and analysis. Purposive sampling was employed by selecting 120 stall operators, composed of 60 male and 60 female operators from the Nairobi Central Business District. The study used an interview schedule, composed of open and closed questions to answer the research questions. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences and presented using bar charts, pie charts, and tables. Regarding the factors exposing stalls to terrorism, the study found that 37% of stall operators thought stalls were easy to attack, while 36% of stall operators thought that the lack of CCTV’s exposed stalls in Nairobi Central. On the preparation measures, the study found out that 47% of stall operators considered criminalization of terrorism as an appropriate measure, while 36% of stall operators noted that private security guards have played a significant role by including stalls in developing response plans to the crime of terrorism. Regarding the preparation measures taken by stalls, 77% of the stall operators carried out testing and improvements in physical security in place. The study concluded that stalls in the Nairobi Central Business District are easy targets for the crime of terrorism, and more research is required to explain the reasons underlying the factors exposing stalls and soft targets to the crime of terrorism and the preparation measures taken by stalls and other soft targets.