KENYA: Kenyans pray for peace and unity as their government faces security questions over mall attack

Record ID: 354011

  • Title: KENYA: Kenyans pray for peace and unity as their government faces security questions over mall attack
  • Date: 29th September 2013
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF CHOIR SINGING MORE OF SERVICE/ PEOPLE PRAYING END OF SERVICE
  • Embargoed: 14th October 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Crime,General,Politics,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA96PHI7KIZXBVIRVQ0H75TDS0Q
  • Story Text: Kenyans, still reeling from the shock of last week's attack, prayed for peace and unity on Sunday (September 29) as their government faces questions on whether it had received advance intelligence warnings of the deadly strike.
    At All Saints Cathedral in the capital Nairobi, acting provost Reverend Sammy Wainana addressed the congregation, encouraging them not to lose hope and faith after last week's deadly attack on a shopping mall claimed al Shabaab militants.
    "The message of the church is peace. That Kenyans need to be peaceful. Kenyans need to have hope. Kenyans should not accept the terrorists to divide them or separate them. We are one nation," Wainana said outside the cathedral where private security guards were inspecting worshippers as they entered the building.
    The Kenyan government is facing questions after newspaper reports on Saturday (September 28) cited early intelligence warnings of the attack at the Westgate shopping centre which is popular among Westerners and Kenyans.
    Three Kenyan newspapers reported on Saturday that a year ago the country's National Intelligence Service (NIS) had warned of the presence of suspected al Shabaab militants in Nairobi and that they were planning to carry out "suicide attacks" on the Westgate mall and on a church in the city.
    In front-page stories, the Nation, Standard and Star newspapers questioned whether the Kenyan government and military may have failed to act on this and more recent warnings this year by local and foreign intelligence services.
    At least 67 civilians and police have been killed in the attack, claimed by the Somali militant group al Shabaab.
    The newspaper reports emerged ahead of a meeting on Monday (September 30) of the Kenyan parliament's defence and foreign relations committee which is expected to ask security chiefs how much warning they had of Saturday's assault.
    In the mall attack that extended into a four-day siege, gunmen fired on shoppers and tossed grenades leaving a trail of victims and shocking Kenya and the world. Al Shabaab said it acted in revenge against Kenyan troops who have been fighting against them in neighbouring Somalia for two years.
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