Catholic bishops in Kenya have called on the government to increase security after the attack on Garissa University.

At least 148 people were killed, mostly Christian, when Al Shabaab gunmen opened fire in classrooms on Maundy Thursday.

In a statement the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops said the massacre was a "heinous terror attack".

"We hope the Government will get to the bottom of this problem of terrorism and radicalization with a view to proactively stemming such incidences from recurring," they said.

"We urge the Government to beef up security especially in all educational institutions in the Country and also address the now obvious breakdown in the security intelligence system."

The bishops also urge politicians to do more to stop the radicalisation of young Kenyans and prevent them from joining terrorist organisations.

The statement added: "It is unfortunate that some terrorists are living among us yet we are not reporting them to the relevant authorities. We need to respect the dignity of all human persons.

"While the Government is expected to provide security to all the people in all parts of the Country, we observe that all of us have a responsibility to support the Government by being vigilant and providing information on any suspicious persons and items within our immediate environment.

"In addition, parents, guardians and teachers need to be more observant of the behaviour of their children for purposes of identifying any unusual, negative, suspicious or violent tendencies.

"Such behaviour should be dealt with immediately or support sought from relevant institutions or authorities. Time has come for Kenyans to be more patriotic. Let us all be our brothers' and sisters' keepers."