Somalia’s al-Shabab Frees Kenyan Hostages

{{Two Kenyan hostages have been reunited with their families after being freed by militant Islamists in Somalia.}}

Yesse Mule and Fredrick Wainana were abducted from the Kenyan town of Gerille in January 2012 by fighters of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group.

Mr Mule told the BBC they moved to 19 different locations, and were kept chained and blindfolded in Somalia throughout their captivity.

Kenya denied paying a ransom for the release of the government officials.

Al-Shabab has taken numerous foreigners hostage, including the French spy Denis Allex who was executed in January after a botched French operation to rescue him.

Mr Mule and Mr Wainana were seized some three months after Kenyan troops entered Somalia to fight al-Shabab.

Its troops are currently part of the African Union (AU) force helping the UN-backed Somali government fend off threats by the al-Qaeda-linked group to overthrow it.

{wirestory}