Residents’ tale of youth raid horror

Survivors of the Monday night attack in Kisauni, Mombasa, which has so far claimed three lives, on Tuesday told of horrific experiences at the hands of gangs.

The victims narrated shocking tales about the attackers, mostly young men aged about 18, who struck after the evening prayers in mosques.

The youths ordered their victims to recite the Shahadda (Muslim profession of faith) during the 8pm attack.

THOSE PAGANS

Those unable to say the prayer were brutally hit and slashed with pangas and knives and left for dead.

Witnesses said they heard shouts of “Waislamu tulieni tunatafuta hao makafiri” (Muslims, calm down. We are looking for those pagans).

Mr Fanuel Mogesani, who was taken to Coast General Hospital with serious stab wounds, said he was heading home when he was attacked by a group of young men.

“I was a few steps from my house when I was surrounded by a group of men. They told me to say their prayer, but since I am a Christian, I could not. That is when I felt something like a metal hit my head,” Mr Mogesani, an elder at Evangelical Friends Church, said.

Mr John Owino, 53, who was at the same hospital, said he was on his way home when a group of some 40 youths attacked him.

They stabbed him in the neck three times before mocking him, saying: “We are reducing the population.”

At Sayyidah Fatmah Hospital, consultant surgeon Hassan Heri said they received five casualties from the Kisauni incident.

He said two succumbed to their injuries and were taken to Coast General Hospital mortuary.