Islamic extremists killed 36 non-Muslim quarry workers in northern Kenya early on Tuesday, prompting Kenya’s president to fire his Interior Minister and accepting the resignation of the national police chief.
President Uhuru Kenyatta named an opposition politician and retired army general, Joseph Nkaissery, to be the new Interior Minister.
Public pressure had been mounting for the two officials to be replaced following a string of extremist attacks. The Tuesday killings happened at a quarry in Mandera County near the border with Somalia and the attackers escaped. The attackers singled out the non-Muslims and killed them, similar to an extremist attack on a bus 10 days ago.
The killings were claimed by al-Shabab, which has been battling for years to establish hard-line Islamic rule in Somalia.
At the quarry, a group of about 50 heavily armed men walked into the camp at 12-30 a.m. as the workers were sleeping and fired warning shots, said Peter Nderitu, who works at the quarry.
Mr. Nderitu said when he heard the shooting he ran and hid in a trench from where he could hear his colleagues being asked to recite the Shahada, an Islamic creed declaring oneness with God. Then, the gunshots followed.—
