Mombasa court frees four women held for over two years on terror charges

The four women when they appeared in court in February 2016. (Photo: Kelvin Karani/Standard)

A magistrate in Mombasa Thursday released four women charged with being members of a terrorist group on a Sh500,000 bond.

Resident Magistrate Henry Nyakweba questioned why the suspects were charged twice with similar charges in different courts.

Maryam Said Aboud, Khadija Abdulkadir Abubakar from Malindi, Ummul Khayr Sadir Abdalla from Tanzania and Halima Adan Ali of Mombasa were charged with 19 terror charges, including being members of Al-Shabaab and conspiracy to commit terrorism in Kenya.

"The accused were to be convicted in one suit so that their sentence can run concurrently. All the offences they face were committed on the same day and at the same place but there are two suits," said Nyakweba.

The suspects have been held since 2015 when they were first charged and denied bail.

The four are also facing eight more similar charges in a separate court which they have denied.

Last year, the Director of Public Prosecutions had moved to court challenging the release of the suspects on bond stating there was new evidence linking the four to the Westgate Mall terror attack and Garissa University raid that left 165 students dead.

The magistrate said the prosecution had not shown why the accused should continue to be held in custody.

He, however, put on hold the bond process and prosecution's application for stay of his orders until January 31.

Relief was written on the women's faces and the family as the magistrate said they could be released on bond.

However, their joy was shortlived as State prosecutor Jami Yenina applied to have the women remanded in custody for 14 more days pending his application in High Court opposing their release on bond.

The magistrate did not make a ruling on this request.