The President pledges support to terror attack victims

NAIROBI, KENYA: President Uhuru has said the government will support victims of terror attacks in Mombasa and Nairobi that claimed at least seven people. In a statement to newsrooms, the President said his government will not allow criminals looking for opportunity to divide Kenyans along religious lines. “Since independence, Kenyans have enjoyed freedom of worship and religion. Kenyans of different faiths have lived together in peace throughout our history. The terrorists would like a war of religion, bringing to an end our history of tolerance. This country will not allow it. The terrorists will be treated as the vicious criminals they are, and our tradition of easy coexistence will be maintained,” he said. “The terrorists wish to see us despairing and divided. They will be disappointed. My government’s pursuit of extremists and their agents will continue; under law, it will be intensified. Those who chose to murder innocents will be defeated.” Twin blasts on the Thika Superhighway left at least two dead and dozens injured, at least three had their legs severed. Women and children were among the casualties in the latest campaign of terror. It came as police revealed that the terror suspects behind a similar attack on a bus in Mombasa on Saturday had been arrested and released by the courts.
The two, Mr Suleiman Mohamed Said and Mr Jamal Mohamed Awadh, were in the Masjid Musa when police raided it in February to flush out radicalised youth who were attending a banned seminar on Islamic jihad. In the Nairobi attacks, Deputy head of bomb disposal Eliud Lagat said improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were used to maim passengers in the two 60-seater buses.