Christian Persecution in Kenya

In November 2014, radical Muslims targeted Christians in northeastern Kenya, driving them inland. This terrorism has also resulted in a lack of basic necessities and jobs. Additionally, in many areas, the government has failed to protect Christians and their children, leading to increased risk of violence. The new constitution of Kenya introduced in 2010 emphasized the freedom of religion. However, this does not protect Christian citizens in the northeastern part of Kenya.

In the recent past, four Christians were killed by Muslim extremists. They were all suspected of refusing to recite the Islamic prayer of faith. The Islamist group took Changawa Muthemba to a neighboring home, tied him up, and hacked him to death. In a separate incident, a group of militants burned the Christian Charo Kasena to death. The deaths of the Christians were a result of attacks by the aforementioned militant group.

The situation is not better in northern Kenya, where Muslims are the majority of the population. Al-Shabaab and other armed groups, which support the Sunni Islamist inquisition, have been responsible for several beheadings of Christian converts. In the north, the aforementioned gang has spread to the region’s northeastern regions. In a recent attack, al-Shabaab hacked a quarry, killing 36 people and wounding hundreds more. These radical Muslims also target Christians, and despite the local government’s efforts to curb organized crime and prevent the armed insurrection, they fail to take action.

While this conflict is largely political and social in nature, it is also an issue of religious liberty. The Kenyan government has banned the practice of religion and Christians are forced to move. In response, the militants have attacked a number of churches, including several in the city of Nairobi. Most of these churches are large, and Christian believers were attacked during services. While the police were unable to stop the attacks, they did a thorough search for them and seized a bus carrying several Christians.

According to the World Watch List, Christian persecution in Kenya has a high level of repression. In particular, Muslims have been targeting Christians in Garrisa for several years. The Islamic cry “Death to the slaves of the cross” is common in the Middle East and Africa. Much of the violence is caused by directives of the US government and American tax dollars. The Obama administration deliberately chose not to mention the violence against Christians in Kenia in his tweets.

In the city of Nairobi, Christians have been subject to violent attacks by the militant group al-Shabab. In October 2018, al-Shabab killed two Christians teaching at a Christian school. In July 2016, an al-Shabab gunman killed a church leader as he was returning from a peace training. In December 2014, 36 Christian quarry workers were killed by the group. Moreover, Kenyan Christians face violence in the northeastern part of the country.

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