Feature: Garissa University students narrate chilling encounter with terrorists

This is the beginning of more attacks targeting learning institutions in Kenya; the terrorists who raided Garissa University College are reported to have warned the students few minutes before they started their murderous rampage at dawn on Thursday.

Survivors who agreed to be interviewed while camping at Garissa military barracks said the militants spoke in halting Swahili as they warned of bloodbath in other Kenyan learning institutions.

Maureen Manyego, a 21 year old female survivor, heard militants lecture victims before killing them as she hid herself in a wardrobe.

"We are here to kill and die with you. We are not afraid of death. You are dying to pay for the arrogance of your political leader who has refused to pull out their military officers from Somalia. As long as Kenyan's military are in Somalia, it will be paid with its citizens blood", one of the youngest gun men said.

Mayengo revealed that she was overcome with grief upon learning her closest friends died under a hail of bullets.

The second year student hid in the wardrobe for about thirty minutes as the militants rampaged in the hostels killing every student in sight.

According to Manyega, Muslim female students who attempted to dissuade the killers from harming their classmates were warned of dire consequences.

The gun men told female Muslim students they were on revenge missions in Kenya until the country withdrew its troops from Somalia.

"We have warned your authorities many times over our plans to attack. We have issued alerts warning over the same, you are today paying for your government refusal to heed to our threats and calls to remove your soldiers in our country," Manyengo heard one of the terrorists saying.

She said the gunmen taunted students telling them their intention was to paint the Easter holiday with blood.

The visibly terrified Manyanga said that she was later rescued by the military officers who stormed her hostel to rescue the trapped students.

Auma Geoffrey, a 22 male student said he took refuge on top of a wardrobe and heard the attackers order the victims to call their parents before they were mowed down.

"I witnessed the attackers forcing their victims to make calls to their parents and request President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy to withdraw troops from Somalia," Auma told Xinhua.

He said the attackers were jubilant as they killed innocent students. Endi