Sarit Centre mall refutes rumors of being targeted in Al Shabaab attack

Popular shopping mall responds to rumors of being targeted in Al Shabaab attack

Mumbi Mutuko

February 13, 2019 5:01 PM

Popular mall acts after news of being targeted in terror attack swam social media

Popular city mall

A series of WhatsApp messages doing rounds on the social media platforms claiming that Sarit Centre was being targeted in a terrorist attack have been termed as fake.

On Wednesday, The Sarit Centre management sent a statement asking Kenyans and shoppers at the mall to ignore the fake news.

Sarit Centre Mall in Nairobi Pulse Live Kenya

The Sarit Centre said the message ws merely gossip and they had not been informed of any attacks targetting the mall by authorities.

Fake news

“We have not received any specific alert from the authorities regarding the heightened state of security at The Sarit Centre,” the statement read in part.

“We urge the public to refrain from sharing and forwarding any unverified messages whose only aim is to spread fear,” it further added.

Additionally, the mall's management assured Kenyans they will cooperate with security agencies to provide a safe shopping environment for clients and workers alike.

This comes in the backdrop on claims which were refuted by the United States embassy in Nairobi that they had prior intelligence on the DusitD2 business complex attack.

Unverified information

Former US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec issued a statement responding to reports circulated on social media that a US delegation that had been booked at the hotel had changed the venue just a day before the attack.

Sarit Centre Mall in Nairobi Pulse Live Kenya

“Contrary to some false reports on social media, the United States had no advance notice of the attack," Mr Godec stated.

Kenyans have been victims of fake news which is widely shared through various social media platforms with a finger pointed at social media Apps and news outlets who fail to verify the news.

Mumbi Mutuko