NAIROBI: Officials say the Kenyan university where Islamic extremists killed 148 people nine months ago has reopened amid high security.

Many Kenyans are praising the reopening of Garissa University College as showing that Kenya will not surrender to extremist violence.

Registrar Isaack Mohammed Noor said Monday that at least 150 of 200 staff had reported for work at the three-year-old college, a branch of Eldoret's Moi University.

Noor told The Associated Press that he was living at the school during the April 2 attack and has vivid memories of the rampage in which 142 students died, many of whom he knew. Six security officers were also killed.

Somalia's extremist insurgents, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the attack. The rebels have vowed retribution on Kenya for sending troops to fight them in Somalia.