Rugby player arrested over alleged link with Al Shabaab

Top fry Nakuru RFC celebrating after winning this years Top Fry Prinsloo Sevens Rugby tournament after beaating Menengai Cream Homeboy Rfc7-5 at the finals at Nakuru Athletics club on August 30,2015.PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH

Nakuru RFC have expressed their shock and disappointment following the arrest of their centre player Javan Morton Murai on alleged links with terror group, Al Shabaab.

The player who featured for Wanyore in their Enterprise Cup quarter final defeat against Strathmore on May 28 2016, was arrested while allegedly heading to Somalia to join Al Shabaab.

The arrest happened barely ten months after another sportsman, Tusker midfielder Osborne Monday, was arrested and later released after being questioned for terrorism related charges in August 2015.

Murai, who was arrested by Rangers and Administration Police officers at a borehole in the Jaldesa Community Conservancy, is currently being held in police custody in Marsabit for up to 30 days pending further investigation by Anti-Terrorism Police Unit

But in a statement issued by Nakuru RFC Chairman Ali Al Jabri yesterday, the club said they do not condone activities attempting to subvert the national security and vowed to fully co-operate with the security agencies.

“The Nakuru RFC family has learnt with great shock of the recent arrest of one of our senior players on suspicion of involvement with Al Shabaab,” said Al Jabri.

“Javan Morton Murai was a senior player at our club who showed no overt signs of radicalisation nor extremist tendencies that would have raised any alarm at the club or among his teammates. We, therefore, wish to express our shock, disbelief and great disappointment at this unnerving development.

“Nakuru RFC also wishes to express firm solidarity with the brave men and women serving in KDF. We do not condone any activities that subvert the security of our soldiers and our nation and we recognise that many have laid down their lives for the security we are privileged to enjoy today.

“We are particularly concerned that sports events have been considered a legitimate soft target by terrorists in the past and it is, therefore, our firm resolution that any attempts to infuse terrorist activities into sports or any other facet of society must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

“We have already contacted the relevant security agencies and pledged our full co-operation with the ongoing investigations and will to do everything in our means to protect our players from any negative influences in our society and mentor them in the proud traditions of our club and our country,” concluded Al Jabri.

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