These eye witness accounts were received by a Kenya Forum correspondent. Names have been removed from the text to protect the identity of individuals and family members:

“My maternal uncle (mum’s brother), was shot and died bleeding in car park for over an hour before being rescued. Auntie ducked in the car and was saved. It is so tragic and I was so worried about my son. He was at work fortunately and all the offices and shops closed when they heard about the attack.”

“BODIES STREWN LIKE CATTLE…”

“We have live photos from my uncle’s friends and relatives. Bodies were strewn like cattle in open lorry which was so very distressing. Not even on stretchers and no dignity or respect. It took them nearly four hours before they found the hospital where uncle’s body was taken.”

“PLEASE HELP ME”

One individual’s auntie and uncle were the first in a line of cars as the terrorists entered the mall’s underground carpark. The terrorists approached their car from either side. The individual’s auntie ducked and began praying. The terrorists took uncle out of the car and shot him on the floor.

“Auntie hid in the car for two hours along with the other hostages in the car park, during which uncle was muttering “please help me” from just outside the car – he was still alive, but she had to watch him bleed to death and eventually he stopped breathing. Obviously [there was] nothing she could do.

She was then rescued after two hours but they left uncles body there, saying they would come back for him later. He was the first to be shot at around 12.30pm. They got his dead body out and to the hospital at 7pm! What a joke. There was not even enough space in the mortuary for it.”