By Troy Augustine and James Kake

3/30/16 Washington, DC (International Christian Concern) – Kenyan Christians are demanding justice after a Mombasa court acquitted two suspects who had been charged in the 2014 Mpeketoni massacre that killed 60 people in eastern Kenya, and two men linked to the murder of twelve Christians in Hindi, Kenya, just weeks later.

Dyna Salim Suleiman and Mahadi Swaleh Mahadi are free after High Court Judge Martin Muya found insufficient evidence to convict the two men accused of perpetrating the mass killings. Meanwhile, Shebe Auni and Joseph Shege are now free after being exonerated from connection to the murders in Malamande village outside Hindi.

“The acquittal was never expected by the local people and the two men should be jailed,” one local pastor in Mpeketoni told International Christian Concern (ICC).

The Office of Keriako Tobiko, the Director of Public Prosecution has filed an appeal of the decision.

“The DPP said he intends to appeal against the whole judgment and to have the acquittal substituted with conviction of murder that can lead to a death sentence. In his notice of appeal filed [March 23], the DPP requested for the proceedings of the case within 14 days so that he may challenge the acquittal,” the office posted to Twitter.

The attacks occurred on June 15 through 17 in Mpeketoni before a second attack ravaged Hindi, Kenya weeks later. The assaults targeted police stations, churches, populated villages, and market centers.

Ruthless Attacks

In the Mpeketoni case, Suleiman was accused of ferrying the attackers from Mombasa to Lamu County using two buses, vehicles that he claimed were hijacked by al-Shabaab to carry out the attack. Mahadi faced charges related to the planning and execution of the attack.

During the raid, approximately 50 armed militants assaulted Mpeketoniat at 9:00 p.m., opening fire on hotels and banks, firing indiscriminately, as well as burning vehicles. . Christians make up the majority of Mpeketoni’s population, a busy market town with more than ten churches.

On June 17, the assailants set fire to houses in the villages of Majembeni and Poromoko, in the outskirts of the town, killing 15 people.

Al-Shabaab has consistently targeted Christians for their faith. During the infamous Garissa University attack on April 2, 2015, gunmen separated Christians and Muslims, murdering believers and letting Muslims go free.

Al-Shabaab exists to kick Kenyan troops out of Somalia and to “purge Christians” from lands in eastern Kenya, which they consider to belong to Islam.

Al-Shabaab attackers similarly targeted Christians in Malamande. The militants fired rifles and used machetes to behead the villagers. Throughout the course of the assault, assailants murdered men and boys, setting the village ablaze, leaving a handful of women widows and dozens of children fatherless.

Christians Still Living in Fear

Joseph Muchemi survived the attack, having escaped view of the gunmen. . He was left homeless and needy after his house and shop were torched.

“The acquittal is not what we expected. Everybody in Hindi and Mpeketoni town is shocked by the ruling and scared about the release of the four murderers. The evidence of [Auni] coordinating the Hindi attack and Chege supplying food to the attackers in the bush prior to the attack was given,” Muchemi told ICC.

He also said that the court’s decision leaves Christians skeptical about whether the government is prepared to protect them.

He described the Mombasa court as “lacking in making sound judgment that protects the innocent and that serves justice.”

Hindi has not yet received any security reinforcement, even after the Deputy President promised to set up a police station in Malamande. The people are still living in fear and poverty because they are still coming to terms with the attack.

“If [the suspects] are out, we have no option but to leave Hindi and migrate to another safer place. They will be out for revenge. The government has disowned us and we would rather leave this place and live in the streets,” Muchemi said.

While the court decision leaves Christians feeling like the government has betrayed them, church leaders continue to encourage congregants to trust in God.

“Although we are not allowed to address the issue from the pulpit, we are praying that the justice of God will one day prevail,” a Mpeketoni-area pastor told ICC.

For interviews Please Contact Troy Augustine, Regional Manager for Africa: [email protected]

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