11/13/2018 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Religious discrimination and animosity are soaring drastically in northeastern Kenya. This is evidenced by the September 13 stoning of non-local Christians in Elwak town, Mandera, which was also retaliation against police for killing three suspected al-Shabaab militants. Violent Muslim residents, led by community elders and activists, rounded up Christian masons, killing two and injuring two others by stoning.

“To us, this was a usual day at work,” Jacob Mutua Mativo, a survivor of the assault, told International Christian Concern (ICC). “All of a sudden, a Somali woman who used to sell tea to us arrived and told us that there were angry protesters approaching.”

Before Jacob could flee from the rooftop of the building, “the local Muslim men and women had engulfed the construction site and everybody was now looking for a space in the fence to escape.”

Armed with stones, timber, and metals they descended on the innocent Christians.

“I saw two of my colleagues already lying down, oozing blood from multiple injuries,” Mativo told ICC. “I thought they were still alive. While trying to jump over the fence, I was hit on the head by a huge sharp stone and another flying piece of wood broke my left arm. I passed out. That is all that I can remember.”

Another survivor, Musee Kiema, described the incident as “a scene from hell.” Kiema continued, “It was so swift such that before we could dash out for safety, every corner was occupied by the angry mob, baying for our blood. Before I could jump over the barbed wire fence, several stones had already hit me. I saw my friend, Joseph Mwatha Mwangangi was knocked down ahead of me close to the fence. I knew death had visited us.”