A 20-year-old woman arrested at a mosque in Nakuru town has been handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) in Eldoret for interrogation.
According to authorities, the lady was picked up by regular police at the Jamia Mosque last week on Friday after the Imam, Ahmad Rashid, raised alarm over a suspicious person amidst them.
County police commander Stephen Matu said the woman, dressed in a hijab did not reveal where she came from, and what she was doing in the country.
She too did not have identification, neither carried travel documents.
“Clergy brought the woman to the police station saying she was a stranger and acted suspiciously when questioned about her identity and where she hails from,” said Matu.
The police boss said the woman was handed over to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters in Nakuru for interrogation and later handed over to ATPU on Tuesday morning.
During interrogation at the DCI offices, the woman is said to have shared limited information with investigators.
“We are yet to establish where the woman came from, what she does for a living and if she has a family because she was reluctant to share information after her arrest,” he added.
Matu said more information about her whereabouts would be revealed after completion of investigations by the special police unit.
Imam at Jamia mosque said they shall not allow people with suspicious characters to influence the youth. “We shall a work closely with police to guarantee safety of worshipers and to curb various crimes,” he said.
The suspect was handed over a day after two aliens arrested on a road block were handed over to APTU for more probe.
Matu said police have intensified surveillance in all areas that seem prone to terror attacks in the cosmopolitan town.
“Police shall continue with regular patrols in various localities highly frequented by locals. We are also calling on the public to always share with us information of suspicious characters as a way of fighting terrorism,” said Mr Matu.
Last year, Nakuru launched County Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Nakuru County Violence Prevention Policy to curb terrorism and crime.
According to the document, violence in and around Nakuru has increased gradually over the years with an increase in organized crimes, land related violence, sexual violence, armed robberies and election related violence.
