'Prison being used to recruit youth for terror'

Youths are being recruited into the Al-Shabaab terror group while in a Nairobi remand prison, Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri has said.

Mr Ngunjiri said he has evidence that the prison has become a recruitment ground for Al-Shaabab and demanded immediate investigations.

The MP said youths were being arrested for petty offences and hefty bonds imposed on them by a Kibera Court and while in remand, they are recruited into the terror group.

"I have credible information that once they are remanded after failing to raise the bond they are recruited into terror networks. The Government should wake up," the MP, who refused to name the prison involved,” he said.

He, however, said he wanted to reveal the issue to the media first as police could not be fully trusted to act on the information.

The MP claimed there is a plot to have the Jubilee government fail in tackling insecurity and corruption to ensure it loses the 2017 elections just like happened in Nigeria. "The same strategy which led to the defeat of the Nigerian ruling party is also being used here with insecurity and corruption being used to paint the Government negatively," he said.

Ngunjiri commended the media for exposing weakness in the Government responsible for the rising incidents of terror attacks.

"We want the information we are giving out to be taken seriously," he said.