Terror suspect sneaks into President Uhuru Kenyatta's Gatundu residence

Said Mire Siyad who was arrested at President Kenyatta's Gatundu residence [Photo: George Njunge/Standard]

In what could be a serious national security breach, a suspected terrorist was arrested at President Uhuru Kenyatta's residence in Gatundu South, a facility under round-the-clock watch by an elite security force.

Prosecutors told a Nairobi court Wednesday that Said Mire Siyad was arrested at the "presidential residence" in Gatundu on Tuesday and handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU).

State prosecutor Daniel Karuri told Milimani Resident Magistrate Edda Agade they believed the suspect was sent to carry out surveillance for a planned terrorist attack. Mr Karuri successfully requested that the suspect be detained for 15 days to allow police to complete investigations.

"Police have not established the reason for trespassing on the presidential home by the suspect or the people behind it," Karuri explained.

Siyad is among seven other suspects accused of engaging in organised crime arrested in different places on Tuesday. The others, Ali Mustafa Abdul-Latif, Mariam Wamboi Suleiman, Mohamed Ali Njiru, Abdikadir Maalim Hussein, Ahmednoor Abdi Adan, Mohamed Hussein Maalim and Omar Said Ahmed will also remain in custody as detectives complete their investigations.

Ahmed was arrested at KenGen Company offices along Mombasa Road on the same day. He is alleged to be conducting radicalisation programmes for youths and facilitating the disappearance of his son to join Al Shabaab, the militia group responsible for a string of terror attacks including the recent one at Garissa University College that left 148 people dead.

Adequate time

Abdul-Latif, Suleiman and Njiru were arrested while taking photographs at the Kencom bus stage in Nairobi and handed over to ATPU on Tuesday. The other three were arrested at Gikomba market and had similarly been detained by ATPU.

The prosecutor explained that since Siyad was arrested on Tuesday, police had not had adequate time for investigations and required 15 days to complete the probe.

He added that the suspects could disappear if released and told the court there were other associates yet to be arrested.

The prosecution added that police would have travel to West Pokot to collect more evidence against him before a decision was made to charge him.

"The suspects are yet to be charged with terrorism-related offences as the prosecution requires a detailed extraction of mobile phone records and further investigations," said Karuri.

The court ordered that Said and Ahmed be jointly held at Kilimani Police Station for 15 days to allow the police to investigate their activities.

Prosecutors revealed they believed Abdul-Latif, an American citizen, and his associates were also on a surveillance mission at Kencom in preparation for an attack.

Defence lawyer Mwita Chacha told the court the suspects needed to be released on bail because the charges were not yet well established. He told the court his clients were being mistreated by police officers as some of them were made to clean toilets before they were arraigned in court.

Mr Chacha told the court that the photographs were taken while the suspects were enjoying their honeymoon as they were couples and had no ill motives.