Kenyans have lined up to donate blood, and they were joined by thousands of Somalis, including some living in refugee camps in Kenya. Social media users have issued inspiring calls for unity. 

Now is a good time to begin thinking about the longer-term response of the Kenyan government and its people to ensure the spirit of unity continues during the country’s next steps, especially as more news emerges of the shocking conditions and abuses faced by the victims during the attack. Decades of practical experience and rigorous academic research in post-crisis and conflict conditions around the world give us important guidance for how such situations can evolve, for better or for worse. And Kenya certainly has its own experiences to draw from.

The immediate response after the Westgate mall attack naturally will focus on ensuring security and stability, assessing residual risks to Kenyans as they go about rebuilding their daily lives. But security operations can quickly be perceived as targeting particular communities. In such a tense atmosphere and amid a country that is predominantly Christian, the risk exists that Kenyan Muslims might quickly feel they are the focus of increased scrutiny.

It will only be through prudent use of security forces that the trust and confidence of Kenyans in their government will be restored.  Security forces who’ve been accused in the past of violations themselves will have to walk a fine line to reassure communities that their goal is to provide security for all people in Kenya.

Despite the very human desire for revenge, it will also be important to reject the attackers’ apparent intent of sowing turmoil and division through Kenyan government outreach to Muslims and Somalis in the country to help devise a joint and inclusive response and to focus on where the real threat lies.

The flurry of constructive social media commentary during the crisis was a great start, including the discussion propelled by the Twitter hashtag #OneKenya. Kenyans have coalesced around themes of unity and resilience before, such as when civil society mounted social media campaigns this year to avoid electoral violence. Social media can continue to serve as an important tool for conversations about the challenges Kenyans will be facing as they process and move forward from this tragedy.

Kenya also has structures and organizations in place to help facilitate this critical outreach to communities at risk of marginalization or repression.  The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) is a reputable organization with national presence that can help.

President Kenyatta’s recent post-election outreach to the Kenyan Muslims bodes well for ensuring inclusivity. The attack can actually present an opportunity to redress perceptions of marginalization through active engagement. Making Kenyan Muslims part of the solution to prevent violent extremism in Kenya could be a constructive response.

Somali-Kenyans also may anticipate a backlash after the attacks. It will be important to establish a sense of inclusion of ethnic Somalis who are Kenyan citizens in order to empower their voices as Kenyans. 

It is important for Kenya to keep its eye on the ball—the real threat from al- Shabab still emanates from the weakly governed space next door in Somalia, and in porous borders and the proliferation of weapons.  The fact that Kenya is willing to put human and fiscal treasure on the line to help create a more stable Somalia next door by participating in the multinational peacekeeping force should be lauded, not attacked.

I was in Kenya when the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks occurred in the U.S., and I saw how warmly and sympathetically Kenyans responded to those attacks.  Muslim Kenyans quietly and peacefully marched after Friday prayers, indicating they held sympathy for the victims and no allegiance to the perpetrators, despite being of the same faith.  I heard of a poor Kenyan Masai village that donated precious cattle to the U.S., accompanied by community members holding signs saying “Sorry to America.”

In light of the Westgate mall attack, the sympathy now is being reciprocated with hope that Kenyans will emerge from this ordeal united rather than divided. 

Jacqueline H. Wilson is a senior program officer in USIP’s Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding.