Tags

Kenya

• Five Church Buildings Burned

  

  Five church buildings were destroyed by fire in the town of Otamba, Kisii County, between January 21st and 26th, causing great concern among the residents of the community. While ten people were arrested shortly afterwards, the motive behind the attacks is unknown at this point.

• Christian Teachers Killed

  

  Three Christian teachers were killed when suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists attacked the town of Kamuthe in eastern Kenya during the early morning of January 13th. The teachers of a residential school were asleep in their staff housing when their room was raided. According to a surviving teacher who fled out the window, the local Somali Muslim teachers were separated from the non-locals, whom they presumed were Christians. One of the attackers reportedly said, "We cannot allow infidels to teach our children," and then the three Christian men were shot to death.

• Pastor Beaten Unconscious

  

  An underground pastor in eastern Kenya, near the Somali border, was severely beaten on the night of March 8th. Muslim militants assaulted him with wooden clubs, leaving him unconscious and with a broken leg, bruises and other injuries.

  Pastor Abdul (surname withheld for security reasons) is a 30-year-old father of three. He serves as pastor to an underground church consisting of 30 former Muslims who, for safety, meet in small groups on varying days. He was on his way home after a prayer gathering on the outskirts of Garissa when several Somali Muslims attacked him. Most ethnic Somalis believe that all people of their nationality must adhere to Islam.

• Christian Beaten and Arrested

  

  A Christian man named Hassan and his widowed mother, who were both living in Ngong, located on the outskirts of Nairobi, have been facing constant pressure to recant their Christian faith and return to Islam. Pressure has included threats, bribes and beatings on several occasions. On January 19th, Hassan was arrested. The police officers, along with two others, then severely beat him -- knocking out teeth and causing leg, chest and back injuries.

• "Recant or Face the Sword"

  

  After a family in the small town of Garsen put their faith in Christ earlier this month, they began to receive threats from Muslims in the area. According to Abdul Abuk-Bakr, they were given a day to either renounce their Christian faith or face severe consequences.

• Murdered for Not Reciting Islamic Creeds

   

  

   

  Two bus passengers were executed on September 14th when they failed to recite Muslim prayers. The men were travelling to the town of Garissa when their bus was pulled over by seven Al-Shabaab militants. The passengers were ordered to show ID and three non-locals were pulled from the bus for questioning.