Police have confirmed the deaths of 15 people in a fresh terror attack Monday night in Poromoko area, near Mpeketoni town. This raises the death toll from attacks in Lamu district to at least 63 people.

Eight more bodies were recovered overnight from villages in Mapenya sub-location, north of Mpeketoni, leading to protests by residents. Three houses were torched in the area and police Tuesday were trying to establish if this was in retaliation for the attacks. We are yet to confirm whether these victims were killed in Sunday’s attack or in the second raid on Monday night.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said the attackers destroyed telecommunication equipment owned by Kenya’s largest mobile phone service provider before the killings.
"This is an elaborate war," he said.

Angry residents of Lamu district gathered at Lake Kenyatta area Tuesday morning called for immediate action as they sought audience with Mr Ole Lenku.

Politically motivated

Speaking at the venue, the Cabinet Secretary Secretary asserted that the killings were politically motivated, and they had reliable intelligence that similar attacks might occur in other parts of the country. The Al Qaeda-linked Shabaab militant group have already claimed responsibility for both the Sunday and Monday night attacks.

"We carried out another attack last night. We killed 20 people, mainly police and Kenyan wildlife wardens. The commandos have been going to several places looking for military personnel," Shabaab's military spokesman, Abdulaziz Abu Musab, told AFP by telephone.

Mr Lenku said new officers have been brought to Lamu County, and hinted that government officials in the county might be sacked in relation to the killings.

The CS, Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo and security chiefs including Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo and the two deputy Inspector Generals Grace Kaindi and Samuel Arachi are in the area in the wake of the killings that started on Sunday night.

Forty eight people were massacred in the initial attack by dozens of gunmen who arrived in the sleepy town in several minivans on Sunday.