Two Kenyans kidnapped in Somalia by gunmen

November 10, 2009 According to witness reports, two Kenyan businessmen were kidnapped in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Monday, and a ransom has been demanded for them.

The Kenyans, workers of the printing agency Hamar Adde, were taken from the Bakara market, the biggest trading centre in the Somali capital, at gunpoint. Eyewitnesses said that two Somalis in the company of the Kenyans were also taken, but later were released without a ransom.

Muktar Ise, a grocer at the complex, was a witness to the kidnapping. "The gunmen entered the printing shop and took the Kenyans with two Somali workers but they released the Somalis hours later. We don't know the identity of the gunmen but they were heavily armed," he said, as quoted by News24.

Relatives of the two freed Somalis confirmed the incident. The brother of one of the freed men commented that "they took the Kenyans to an undisclosed location and are asking for ransom." The ransom amount, however, is not yet known.

“The two Kenyans have been in one of the most violent areas of Mogadishu because they were both Muslims. It is surprise to many people that fellow Muslims who resisted the high level of violence are to lose their liberties,” said media expert Hassan Mohamud from Mogadishu.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.