Rwandans joined the rest of the world yesterday in sending out messages of goodwill and encouragement in the wake of an attack that claimed 53 lives in Mpeketoni, a Kenyan coastal town.

The attack, between Sunday night and Monday morning, was perpetrated by about 50 gunmen who went around shooting indiscriminately while setting ablaze cars, houses, shops and Government offices, sources said.

Television footage showed wreckages of burnt cars and buildings, including that housing a regional bank and two hotels.

Led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwandans took to social media sites to stand with victims and survivors of the attack.

In a consolation message, the minister wrote on her Twitter handle that Rwanda was willing to work with regional leaders to secure the East African region.

"We are determined to work together as a region to secure the people of East Africa. We stand in solidarity with our Kenyan brothers and sisters and condemn the senseless violence,” Mushikiwabo wrote under the hashtag #MpeketoniAttack.

Togetherness

Lucy Mbabazi, the in-charge of Emerging Market Solutions at Visa, who is a social media enthusiast, took to twitter to send out her goodwill message to Kenyans, survivors and victims of the attack. 

"Thinking of brothers and sisters in Mpeketoni tonight–God Speed! #MpeketoniAttack.”

Christiane Rulinda who goes by the Twitter handle @CRulinda posted:  "Our thoughts are with our Kenyan brothers and sisters. Keep strong! #MpeketoniAttack.”

The attack follows a series of grenade explosions mostly in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, some of which Islamic fundamentalists al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for.

The terrorist group yesterday claimed responsibility for the Mpeketoni attack too. 

Al-Shabaab claims the attacks are in revenge of the Kenyan army’s presence in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission.

The biggest attack was the weeklong siege of Nairobi’s Westgate mall in which at least 67 people were killed in September last year.

Mpeketoni town is a medium sized trading centre on the main coastal road, about 100 kilometres from the country’s border with Somalia.

It is a popular tourist destination with some of its ancient architecture listed as Unesco World Heritage sites.