Photo: FILE/CNN
9 Christian bus passengers in Kenya were attacked and killed because of their faith.
Uganda Christian News has learnt that the attack occurred on December 6, when Christians who were traveling by bus to Mandera were separated from the other passengers and killed in Kotulo, northeast Kenya.
According to International Christian Concern (ICC), when they rejected to recite the Islamic creed, the Shahada, they were “paraded out of the bus and shot dead at close range by those believed to be Al-Shabaab militants.”
The governor of Mandera was quoted by local media sources as saying, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the heinous bus attack near Kotulo … It is extremely sad and humanly disturbing to learn that, yet again, they segregated locals form non-locals before killing those they believed to be non-locals.”
According to CBN News, the names of those confirmed as killed are Athanus Kiti, Enos Odhiambo, Kelvin Mandela, Wisely Meli, Tikane Kasale, Leonard Mukanda, Francis Mbuvi, Rodgers Machuka, and Anchari Okerosi. The two still missing are Emmanuel Barasa and Nathan Bett.
CBN News reported that one passenger attributed his survival to a Muslim passenger who tossed him some Somali clothes to put on when the bus was first hijacked.
From the look of the clothes, the news source wrote, the hijackers assumed he was a Muslim.
ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa said, “We hope that the government will take effective action to stop the senseless killing of so many Christians in Kenya at the hands of Islamic extremists like al-Shabaab. We praise God as the refuge and strong tower that He is for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ who continue to endure so much.”
Ms Dede Laugesen, the Executive director of Save the Persecuted Christians said, “Muslims must speak out on these seemingly endless, senseless killings of innocent people holding different beliefs than theirs. Freedom of religion or belief is a universal human right that must be protected and promoted by all for the sake of peace and prosperity. This must end, but it won’t until Muslims en masse demand an end to violence against others in the name of religion, which is generally successful when it does happen.”
