Influences of Crisis Communication Plans on Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Organization’s Preparedness for Terror Crisis: A Case Study of Daystar University

A paper presentation at the 3rd East African Multidisciplinary Research Conference (EAMARC III) held at the United States International University- Africa, 15th -17th November, 2016.Over the years, terrorism has been on the rise claiming thousands to millions of lives both locally and globally. For this study, terrorism is defined as the use of violence as a method of combat with political aims and motives designed to have far-reaching psychological repercussions beyond the immediate victim or target (Laqueur, 1999; Hoffman, 2006). According to the Global Terrorism Index (2015), the year 2014 recorded the largest ever global year-on-year increase in deaths from terrorism; rising from 18,111 in 2013 to 32,685 in 2014. 500 terror related deaths had occurred in eleven countries in 2014 alone compared to 2013 where only five countries did. Eighty-seven countries experienced a terrorist incident in 2013; slightly up from eighty-one in 2012 (GTI, 2014). Kenya has not been spared by terrorists in light of escalating number of fatalities and injuries resulting from terror attacks globally. While terrorist attacks in Kenya date as far back as the 70’s, some of the most traumatic terror attacks occurred in the 90’s and 2000’s. According to a 2015 report by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), between 1970 and 2014 there were more than 440 terrorist attacks in Kenya. These attacks killed more than 1,400 people and wounded more than 5,800 others. The study further suggests that more than half of the terrorist attacks in Kenya were concentrated in six cities: Nairobi (76 attacks), Garissa (53 attacks), Mandera (50 attacks), Mombasa (27 attacks), Wajir (23 attacks), and Dadaab (17attacks). On August 7, 1998, the U.S. embassy in Nairobi Kenya suffered its worst terror attack. In the aftermath of the attack, 218 people were declared dead, over 5000 injured and property worth billions of Kenyan shillings destroyed (Lagat, 2014). The Westgate shopping mall terror attack that occurred on 21 September 2013 was also considered one of the worst terror attacks in Kenya. The attack carried out by the Al- Shabaab militia led to the death of 72 people and over 201 others got injured (GTI, 2014). Terrorists have gradually changed their tactics from attacking organizations to schools, churches and the transport sector. On Thursday April 2, 2015, Garissa University College was under terror attack where 147 students were killed and 79 others injured (START, 2015). According to a study by Eboi (2015), the GUC attack exposed gaps in the government security apparatus related to gaps in a clear communication strategy by the government