Gunmen Kill at Least 29 in Latest Raids on Kenyan Coast

By Joseph Akwiri

MOMBASA, Kenya – Gunmen have killed at least 29 people in two coastal regions of Kenya. The deputy president suggested on Sunday that these attacks may be linked to political rivals, despite the Somali Islamist group al Shabaab claiming responsibility.

These violent incidents are expected to further damage Kenya’s struggling tourism sector, already affected by a series of militant attacks, and intensify public discontent regarding security, coinciding with an opposition rally planned in the capital. The Interior Ministry reported that one of the attacks occurred in the trading town of Hindi in Lamu County, where nine individuals were killed. This area was previously shaken by violence last month, where 65 people died in Mpeketoni.

A second attack took place further south in the Gamba region, resulting in the deaths of 20 individuals. Local official Abdallah Shahasi described a scene of chaos where assailants indiscriminately shot at people and villages.

Recent militant strikes along the coast have heightened the already charged political climate in Kenya, as the country has deployed troops to join African Union forces fighting al Shabaab in neighboring Somalia. Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, a spokesperson for al Shabaab’s military operations, confirmed to news outlets that the group was behind these two attacks. Al Shabaab has a history of violence in Kenya, including the notorious attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi last year, which resulted in 67 deaths.

In response to the claims made by al Shabaab, President Uhuru Kenyatta previously suggested that local politicians were connected to the violence in Mpeketoni. Similarly, the deputy president echoed these sentiments this week, indicating that political adversaries might be involved once again. He warned that attempts to destabilize the country for political gain would not succeed.

The deputy president’s remarks are likely to exacerbate tensions with the opposition, who have denied any involvement in the attacks. Police Deputy Inspector General Grace Kaindi raised further doubts about al Shabaab’s involvement, stating that evidence pointing to the separatist movement Mombasa Republic Movement (MRC) included slogans found at the scene of the attacks.

MRC’s leadership quickly rejected any accusations linking them to the incidents, criticizing the government’s tendency to scapegoat their group. Meanwhile, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who has been vocal against the government’s security failures, has organized rallies and plans to lead a significant demonstration in Nairobi soon.

During the attacks, assailants targeted government offices and set a church on fire in Hindi. Reports indicated that the victims were shot execution-style, suggesting potential motivations tied to land disputes among different ethnic groups in the coastal region. Al Shabaab has also claimed responsibility for breaking into the Gamba police station during the raid and releasing detainees, including some connected to the earlier Mpeketoni attacks.

In a separate incident in Mombasa, a Russian tourist was killed by robbers while she was with two companions.

(Note: Contextual details were edited for clarity and focus while maintaining the article’s informational essence.)