Slain Kenyan terrorist was a graduate of a Ugandan University

A man walks past two cars belonging to one of the al Shabaab terrorists Ahmed Said alias Marahaba who was killed by KDF officers in Lamu last Sunday as they attempted to raid a KDF camp.The two vehicles, which were being manned by his wife, are now detained at the Provincial Anti-Terrorism office in Mombasa after police raided his home on Tuesday evening. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

Slain Mombasa militant Luqman Osman Issa held a bachelor's degree from a Ugandan university and  was killed trying to protect the body of British Jihadist Thomas Evans alias Abdul Hakim in Lamu on Sunday, family and military sources have revealed.

And yesterday, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman Colonel David Obonyo reported that three decomposing bodies of militants killed in Sunday's clash with Kenyan soldiers in Lamu were discovered in the bushes on Tuesday.

Today DNA/forensic analysis will start the grim task of identifying the bodies of the 11 militants at a mortuary in Mpeketoni, Lamu. Three of them are suspected to be from Somalia while the rest are Kenyans, except Thomas.

In Mombasa, the Tourist Registration Authority (TRA) admitted that Said Abdalla Hemed alias Said Hamza of Mombasa operated a tour guide firm whose licence was last renewed in 2013.

On Tuesday, his wife, whose name was not given, was briefly detained for interrogation and freed but she left behind two vehicles from the tour guide firm – Marhaba Tours.

Luqman, Thomas, Hemed and the other slain militants belonged to Jaysh al Ayman, an Al-Shabaab linked terrorist cell active in Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu. Reports show the cell was formed in 2001 with the assistance of slain Islamist Sheikh Aboud Rogo.

Yesterday reports indicated that authorities had established a fourth militant only identified as Jamal as being among the 11 bodies at the Mpeketoni District Hospital Mortuary. He is a native of Malindi.

The Standard has also established that many other militants were shot dead by Kenyan soldiers as they tried to retrieve the body of Thomas after he was shot by a sniper in the hip and collapsed.

We also established that besides barking orders, Thomas was also filming Al-Shabaab assault on Baure KDF camp in Lamu.

Military sources told The Standard that the British militant collapsed after just being hit once and this appears to have surprised other militants who began to run in disarray trying to pull him from advancing KDF forces.

"They kept shouting that do not let them take away the white man," said a KDF soldier from the special forces squad that took part in the combat. The soldier, who cannot be named, said that immediately Thomas collapsed, an incendiary object a fellow militant was carrying exploded, possibly driving shrapnel into the Briton's body.

The official further told The Standard that Luqman who was a few feet from Thomas barked out orders in Swahili ordering the militants not to allow KDF to capture Thomas or his body.

"He flung himself across the firing range towards the White man and tried to pull away the Briton but was struck with a bullet to the left temple and he fell motionless," said the soldier.

"After this, other militants fell over themselves trying to pull away the White man. Others retreated in disarray leaving weapons and Thomas' camera behind," he said.

After KDF soldiers beat back Al-Shabaab attackers, they took the bodies and isolated those of suspected foreign fighters, including Thomas which was taken to Manda Bay naval base, for forensic analysis.

"The Americans suspected the White man was from the US," said an official explaining the Americans interest in the body "and requested to perform tests but realised he was not anyone known to them."

Meanwhile on Tuesday in Mombasa, a brother of the late Luqman's gave brief details about his sibling.

Bashir Osman Issa, who is a politician in Mombasa, claims Luqman graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. But it was not clear if he ever worked afterwards.

He said the slain militant, who was his younger brother, was born in 1984 and grew up as lovely boy and ardent sportsman.

"He learnt in Mombasa in both Abu Hureira Primary School [in Mombasa] and joined Abu Hureira Secondary School in Mombasa but completed the O-level studies at Dar ul Ulum Secondary School," said Bashir who claimed Luqman called thrice after fleeing to Somalia, allegedly in 2009.

Bashir claimed his family cut links with him on learning he had joined the terrorist group.

According to a State report, Luqman went to Somalia in 2008 and his other brother Issa Osman Issa who was implicated in the 2002 attack on an Israeli hotel in Kikambala, Kilifi. Issa is said to be living in Sudan and his other brother reportedly died in Afghanistan in 2001 after joining the Taliban in 2009.

Luqman, police claim, was Al-Shabaab commander in the region.

Anti-terror police unit impounded two vehicles belonging to the company associated with Hemed and towed it away to the regional police headquarters.

The two vehicles – a matatu van and a saloon car –  formed part of the tour firm's fleet.

TRA is the body mandated by Kenyan law to formulate guidelines and prescribe measures for sustainable tourism throughout the country as well as register, license and grade all sustainable tourism and tourist related activities including cottages and private residences engaged in guest house services.

Marhaba Tours is reported to have been in operation after getting its last licence in 2013 but had never applied for renewals as is stipulated by law.

Acting TRA Director General Kipkorir Lagat, however, failed to respond to inquiries by The Standard to confirm whether the company was legally in the government register of tourism establishments.

Contacted via SMS, Lagat said he was in a short meeting and would respond but failed to do so by the time of going Press.

The Standard learnt that the deceased used to chauffeur tourists himself while he was in Kenya and would take them to ideal tourist attraction sites like the Tsavo National Park, Moi International Airport, and tour of Mombasa city, among others.