Latest News in Kenya.

Suspected al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab
extremists briefly took hostage a top Kenya
government official in the country's volatile
southeast, leaving three people dead,
officials and police sources say.
It was the highest-profile kidnapping by al-
Shabab in the East African nation, raising
security concerns ahead of next month's
election.
A top public works official, Maryam
Elmaawy, was on her way to visit families
who had fled recent al-Shabab attacks when
her convoy was attacked, Coast Regional
Police Commander Larry Kieng said.
Police said two other vehicles were briefly
held and released, while the car with
Elmaawy was driven into the Boni Forest by
extremists. Elmaawy was rescued by
Kenya's military but suffered injuries,
Kieng said.
Police sources said two police officers and a
civilian were killed. The sources, who spoke
on condition of anonymity for fear of
reprisals, gave no details.
Kenya has seen an increase in attacks
claimed by al- Shabab in recent weeks. The
group last week beheaded nine people in the
same region of Kenya's southeast.
Al-Shabab, which is based in neighbouring
Somalia, has vowed retribution on Kenya
for sending troops to fight what has become
the deadliest Islamic extremist organisation
in Africa. The group has carried out more
than a hundred attacks in Kenya and has
vowed to continue.
Kenya joined the fight against al-Shabab in
2011 after a string of kidnappings by Somali
gunmen, including of four Europeans, in
Kenya. The government said the
kidnappings threaten tourism, a key driver
of the country's economy.
Security analyst and former US Marine
Andrew Franklin said al-Shabab's frequent
incursions into Kenyan territory, despite a
heavy military and police presence, show
the country's inability to protect itself.
This raises security concerns for the Aug 8
presidential election, when security
agencies will be preoccupied ensuring a
peaceful vote, Franklin said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is running
for re-election, has not issued any statement
on the recent surge in al-Shabab attacks.
Kenya is among five countries contributing
troops to an African Union force that is
bolstering Somalia's fragile central
government against al-Shabab's insurgency.
Of the troop-contributing countries, Kenya
has borne the brunt of retaliatory attacks
from al-Shabab.

Tweet