Police holding terror suspect linked to Al Qaeda in Diani

By Tobias Chanji

KWALE, KENYA: Police in Diani Town,  Kwale County are holding a wanted terror suspect believed to be behind two grenade incidents in the area early this year.

Police claim the suspect Seif Setu alias Nowe is trained with Al Qaida linked militants in Somalia

The date of arrest is not clear but The Standard has reliably learnt about his detention from Kwale police who allege that they have held him since last week.

One of the grenades linked to him was hurled at Tandoori discotheque on New Year Day injuring ten revelers while police say he threw a second one to police on patrol at Kona ya Musa area in Diani mid January, although it did not explode.

Seif's arrest is a major breakthrough in the fight against terror according to Msambweni OCPD Jack Ekakoro.

“The suspect is to be arraigned in court for three counts,” said the OCPD on Monday suggesting that prosecutors have already drafted charges against the suspect.

Ekakoro claimed that apart from the two grenade incidents, Seif is also accused of attempted murder after he shot at his father-in-law last year who luckily did not die.

“We do not know when he came back from Al Shabab training but all the evidence we have in our possession including at the scene of Tandoori link him to the three criminal activities,” he said.