Multiple attacks carried out by Al-Shabab in Kenya have resulted in the deaths of several Christians.
The repeated attacks carried out by Al-Shabab in Kenya are a cause for alarm. The loss of several innocent lives, including those of our Christians, is a tragedy that we cannot afford to ignore. These attacks serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of violence that people and communities all over the world face. It is up to us to take action against extremism and promote peace and security for all, regardless of race, religion, or nationality.
During the morning of Tuesday, April 9, suspected al-Shabab members killed a farmer in Bobo, Hindi, a Christian village in Kenya that the Islamic extremist group attacked in 2022.
Later that afternoon, the militants barricaded a road in the Milihoi area of Lamu County, a route between Mpeketoni and Hindi they travel often. They shot two travelers and set several vehicles on fire.
Lamu West Deputy County Commissioner Gabriel Kioni confirmed the attack and stated that only one person had died and that two people suffered minor injuries.
Security officers responded quickly to the attack and pursued the extremists but were unable to apprehend them. After additional security officers arrived, vehicles traveling through Lamu were stopped and inspected. Some travelers to Hindi and Mokowe chose to detour through Mpeketoni out of fear of further attacks.
“We spent the night awake and alert since we know that the terrorists like attacking during or at the end of the holy month of Ramadan,” an ICC staffer said.
One Christian survivor of the attack said the militants forced him to recite the Shahada, an Islamic statement of faith, to determine if he was Muslim. After he lied and claimed he did not know the Shahada well because he had recently converted to Islam, the militants released him.
Al-Shabab is known to have crossed into Kenya and made people recite the Shahada to determine if they are Muslims. Those who do not recite it are considered Christians and are often beaten or killed.
“We have mobilized our prayer cells to pray that Lamu doesn’t continue to experience this hatred by the Somalia-based terror group that has crippled church growth and the economy of the residents of Lamu,” the ICC staffer said. “We are requesting our brothers and sisters all over the world to join us in prayer against terrorism and persecution of believers in Lamu.”
