A court in Kenya has charged a man in connection with the murder of a British man and the disappearance of his wife at a luxury resort near the Somali border.

Ali Babitu Kololo appeared in court Monday and denied the charges against him.

Police say they believe he helped coordinate the attack on David and Judith Tebbutt earlier this month at the Kiwayu Safari village, north of Lamu Island. Kololo used to work at the resort.

Authorities have detained a second man in the case.

Six armed men went into the tourists' open-air cottage, shot the 58-year-old husband and then fled with his 55-year-old wife in a speedboat. The couple were visiting from southeast England and were the resort's only guests at the time.

Kenya's Lamu Island area is a popular tourist destination and the majority of villagers there depend on the industry for their livelihoods. Locals have expressed concern the crime will deter tourists from visiting.