Barnabas helps injured victims and bereaved families from Kenya church attack

Funding life-saving surgery, food parcels and funeral expenses

“The speed with which you have responded to our distress call for help has been the difference between saving lives and death. Your generosity in funding us for this emergency response has given hope in a grim and deplorable context. The prayers and financial aid you gave has relieved our grief and lightened our burden from the terror that visited our town. Many thanks indeed!”

Francis Omondi, Barnabas Aid partner in Kenya

A church elder who sustained gunshot and blast wounds to his chest during a church attack in Kenya is recovering after life-saving surgery, funded by Barnabas Aid.

Daniel Muge is recovering after a six hour operation

Daniel Muge was hit by two bullets, one near his spine and the other near his heart, during the gun and grenade attack by suspected al-Shabaab militants on the African Inland Church in Garissa on 1 July.

Barnabas Aid responded immediately to a request from a trusted partner in Kenya, Francis Omondi, director of The Sheepfold Ministries (TSM), for funds to help the injured and bereaved. Daniel was one of the victims whom we have been able to help.

His wounds required specialist surgery, so he was transferred to a hospital in Nairobi, where a leading cardiothoracic surgeon performed a six hour operation to remove the bullets and other metal from Daniel’s chest.

Mr Omondi said:

The prognosis is amazing! Only Christ could have helped his situation and we truly thank you for funds that enabled us to save this one life from the terrorists’ bullets.

The scale of the attack, which killed at least 17 people and left around 65 injured, was beyond the capacity of the provincial general hospital. So the TSM-linked North Eastern Medical Centre (NEMC) is using the grant from Barnabas Aid to buy additional medical supplies to meet the need.  

Some of the injured are continuing to receive treatment in Garissa, and NEMC is planning to hold post-traumatic stress clinics to help those who are suffering mental health problems as a result of the attack.

Barnabas provided food for the affected families

In addition to the medical support, Barnabas Aid’s grant is providing food for the affected families, and helped with burial expenses for many of the victims, which was a great comfort to those who lost loved ones.

At a funeral service on 10 July for 13 of the victims, the Vice President of Kenya, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, praised the quick and comprehensive response of TSM and its partners to the crisis.

The small Christian minority in Garissa face much opposition from local Muslims, and sometimes even death as a result of their faith and witness. Barnabas Aid is supporting a number of Christian widows in the city whose husbands have been killed. One of them is the wife of Ismael Rajab, who was murdered in October 2011; his conversion from Islam and subsequent witnessing for Christ provoked strong opposition.

But Christians in Garissa have not been deterred from sharing their faith, and the Church there continues to grow, with many Muslims turning to Christ.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Aid, said:

It is a great encouragement for us to hear how funds that we have sent have made such a significant difference to brothers and sisters in their hour of need. So thank you for your support and please continue to remember those who were injured or lost loved ones in this atrocious attack, and other anti-Christian violence in Garissa.

Give Today

If you would like to help Christians affected by the church attacks in Kenya and other victims of anti-Christian violence, please send your donation to project Victims of Violence Fund (00-345).  Donate Online using our secure server.

If you prefer to telephone, dial: 0800 587 4006 from within the UK or +44 1672 565031 from outside the UK. Please quote project reference Victims of Violence Fund (00-345).

If you prefer to send a cheque by post: Click this link for the address of our regional office. Please quote project reference Victims of Violence Fund (00-345).

For a quick donation of £3.00 by SMS (see terms and conditions here) text Barnabas/345 to 70007 (Please note: This facility is presently only available to UK supporters).