Garissa University College attack

Garissa, in the North Eastern Province around 200 km from the border with Somalia, was considered "one of the safest spots in the region." It housed both military barracks and police headquarters. Al-Shabaab, a multi-ethnic militant group based in Somalia with links to Al-Qaeda, had killed over 200 people in Kenya in the two years prior to the event, in attacks like the 2013 Westgate shopping mall shooting. These attacks significantly affected Kenya's tourism industry, It was reported that there had been "high-profile warnings about a threat to a major university" prior to the attack. The attack came a day after the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had chastised the United Kingdom and Australia for renewing their travel warnings over security threats in Kenya, == Attack and hostage-taking ==

The attack started at around 05:30 am local time. Two unarmed guards were killed at the entrance. Twenty students were rescued by soldiers, including Collins Wetangula, who described the presence of at least five masked, armed gunmen, as well as Christians being "shot on the spot". Other survivors indicated that the shooters had summoned the pupils to get out of their bedrooms in the dormitory and to position themselves face-down on the ground, but then executed the students. The Kenya Defence Forces and other security agencies were deployed. They surrounded and sealed off the university to flush out the gunmen, with the Interior Ministry and Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre reporting that three out of four dormitories had been evacuated. Michael Bwana, another student who fled, said that "most of the people still inside there are girls", in reference to the remaining student dormitory where the gunmen were believed to be hiding. The siege ended after nearly 15 hours, with four gunmen killed just after dusk. The masked attackers wielded AK-47s and were strapped with explosives. Four of the terrorists were shot by the Recce Squad Commandos of the Kenyan GSU. The fifth terrorist was able to detonate his suicide vest causing injuries to some of the commandos. Of the 148 dead, 142 were students, 3 were soldiers and 3 were police officers. Around 587 students escaped, but 79 were injured. Authorities said all students have since been accounted for. == Perpetrators and motive ==

A student survivor said that the gunmen spoke in Swahili, and asserted that they were associated with the Al-Shabaab group. A spokesman for the group, Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, said regarding the situation that "when our men arrived, they released the Muslims", but were holding Christians hostage. Rage also stated that his men's "mission is to kill those who are against the Shabab", and that "Kenya is at war with Somalia" in reference to the deployment of Kenyan troops in the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). One suspected attacker was arrested while fleeing the area during the siege. The Kenyan government named a citizen of Somali origin Mohamed Kuno (alias Sheikh Mohamed Dulayadayn, Gamadhere, or Mohamed Mohamud) as the mastermind behind the attack, and offered a KSh.  (US$215,000) reward for his arrest. He later crossed into Somalia to join the Union of Islamic Courts and then Hizbul Islam, which merged with Al-Shabaab in 2010. and vowed that it would "stop at nothing to avenge the deaths of our Muslim brothers until your government ceases its oppression and until all Muslim lands are liberated from Kenyan occupation." The group also warned the Kenyan public that it would target them in their workplaces, residences, schools and universities for "condoning your government's oppressive policies by failing to speak out against them" and for "reinforcing their policies by electing them." was reportedly the son of Bulla Jamhuri chief Abdullahi Daqare in Mandera County. The other individual was a security guard at the university; also a Kenyan citizen of Somali origin, he was thought to have facilitated entry into the institution. The last suspect, a Tanzanian named Rashid Charles Mberesero, was suspected of having been among the gunmen. He was reportedly found hiding in the ceiling and was carrying ammunition. In June 2019, four years after the attack, they were found guilty, while Sahal Diriye Hussein, also charged, was acquitted. but were later apprehended in Kitui County in South Eastern Kenya as they attempted to cross to Somalia, three days later by Kenyan authorities following a tip-off from locals of the area. ==Reactions==

The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the attack in Garissa, stressing the need to bring to justice perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of what they termed as "reprehensible acts of terrorism", urging all states to cooperate with Kenyan authorities in the aftermath of the attack. The United States, through its embassy in Nairobi, issued a statement strongly condemning the attack and extending condolences to all who were affected. President Barack Obama, who visited Kenya in July 2015, expressed horror and sadness at the reports that students were killed in the attack. He added that "the Kenyan people should know they have an unwavering friend and ally in the United States of America". In the aftermath of the attack, the UK's Minister for Africa James Duddridge strongly condemned the attack, offering condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died. Abdullahi Halakhe, a researcher with the Kenyan Amnesty International, suggested that the attack was not so much a reflection of Al-Shabaab's strength, but instead of the Kenyan government's incompetence. He also noted that the militant group was probably at its weakest point since 2006. A Kenyan social media campaign on Twitter encouraged the use of the hashtag #147notjustanumber to humanize the victims, along with photos and names of those who had died in the attack. In an effort to make sure each student was honoured, a public Google document was also created. ==Aftermath==

Nightly curfews from 18:30 to 6:30 were imposed until 16 April in Garissa and three other counties (Wajir, Mandera and Tana River) near the North Eastern Province's border with Somalia. Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo announced that the government would cover the funeral expenses, and that the families of the victims would be given . Education CS Jacob Kaimenyi also indicated that the university had been closed indefinitely, and that the students who had survived the shooting did not wish to return. The Kenyan authorities published a gazette notice listing Al-Shabaab and the Mombasa Republican Council separatist group as two of several terrorist organizations with operations in Kenya. Additionally, the Kenyan government froze the bank accounts of 86 individuals and entities it alleged were associated with Al-Shabaab. Former Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Odinga, former Kenyan Minister of Trade Moses Wetangula, and other members of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) called for an immediate withdrawal of Kenyan troops from Somalia. Wetangula also recommended that the Kenyan government cut its military budget in half, and reallocate the slashed funds toward strengthening internal security. Additionally, Odinga accused Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta of conceitedness for having dismissed intelligence alerts of potential attacks issued by foreign nations. Over the following weeks, 96 of the 150 primary and secondary schools in Garissa County closed over security fears, as many teachers have refused to return to work. Primary schools have been particularly badly affected by these closures. In 2019, three Islamist militants, Kenyan citizens Mohammed Ali Abikar and Hassan Edin Hassan and Tanzanian citizen Rashid Charles Mberesero, were convicted for their role in the attack. Abikar and Hassan received 41-year prison sentences while Mberesero was sentenced to life in prison. On 27 November 2020, Rashid Charles Mberesero committed suicide at Kenya's highest security prison. In November 2021, Abikar along with two other terrorists escaped from Kenya's highest security Prison Kamiti. They were later rearrested. ==See also==