Christian students in Nairobi are today fasting and praying for those involved in the attack at Garissa University in eastern Kenya.
Students are apparently terrified of further attacks throughout Kenya, after 148 people were murdered in a vicious attack by Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab last Thursday. Witnesses reported that gunmen singled out Christians for point-blank executions during a 13-hour killing spree.
In the aftermath of the attack on April 2, many Kenyans have criticised the lack of security. A Christian worker in Nairobi told the Baptist Press that one student voiced concerns that "anyone can just walk in off the street".
Campus Baptist Fellowship, a church plant at the University of Nairobi, is therefore hosting a day of prayer for those affected by the attack, as well as the perpetrators.
"The only way to stop terrorism is by the Gospel transforming the would-be attackers," the worker said. "As in the case of Paul the Apostle, these men once transformed could turn the world of terror upside down for the glory of God."
The church plant is also planning to reach out in particular to Somali students, who are now considered to be suspicious by some classmates.
Three days of mourning were held throughout Kenya following the incident at Garissa, ending with a vigil on Tuesday evening. Crosses were planted in the ground at Nairobi's Freedom Park to represent the lives lost. Mourners also held candles and flowers, while the names of the victims were read out.
Hundreds of students marched through Nairobi to demand better protection. "Enough is enough. The government must tackle the issue of insecurity seriously," John Derrick, a student at the Technical University of Kenya, told Reuters.
Six suspects were taken to court on Tuesday in connection with the attack.
