Luxury hotel in Kenya reopens after extremist assault in January

After experiencing a deadly attack from Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants in January, the five-star dusitD2 hotel in Nairobi has re-opened its doors.

The attack in January was carried out by the al-Shabab group, demonstrating their protest against US airstrikes increasing in Somalia under President Donald Trump’s regime. During the attack, several gunmen stormed the dusitD2 complex, wreaking havoc until Kenyan police ended the siege the following day.

More than 700 people were evacuated during the incident. 21 people were killed.

“We cannot be intimidated terrorists”

“We cannot be intimidated terrorists,” said Kenya’s tourism and wildlife minister, Najib Balala. “I want to assure the facility of the government’s support as they re-open for business that such an incident will never happen again.”

Getting back on its feet after six months, the luxury hotel now looks over the horizon as it re-opens its doors. A ceremony was held on Wednesday, honouring the hotel staff who died under the hands of the attackers. An orchestra played, while runners led by world-record holder David Rudisha, carried the hotel’s flag from the airport.

“The dusitD2 Nairobi flag … has finally come back home”

Michael Metaxas, dusitD2’s general manager, commented: “The raising of the dusitD2 flag marks the end of the journey that began when the dusitD2 Nairobi flag was hoisted at six dusitD2 properties including Bangkok, Bhutan, China, Dubai and has finally come back home.”

The hotel has undergone six months of renovation, refreshing its look and introducing new dining and meeting experiences. These include the re-designed SOKO restaurant, a revamped fitness centre, and a variety of new meeting rooms.

Security features were also greatly enhanced to ensure the safety of all guests.