Parliament informs police of worker linked to terror

By Stanley Mwahanga

Nairobi, Kenya: Parliament has disclosed that “relevant authorities” have been notified over United Nations allegations linking one of its employees to Al Shabaab and terrorism.

Authorities in Parliament told The Standard on Monday that they were unwilling to discuss the alleged terror links “considering gravity of the claims appearing in that document,” according to Jeremiah Nyegenye, the Clerk to the Senate, who is also Secretary to the Parliamentary Service Commission.

Nyegenye was unwilling to discuss any details of the employee or even confirm if he works there.

“We have brought the matter of the claims made to the attention of relevant authorities,” said Nyegenye.

“I am unable to make further comment or respond to the questions raised,” said Nyegenye.

The UN report claims that an employee of Parliament sits on the committee of the Riyadha Mosque, which is linked to terrorist financing in support of a group called Al Hijra, which in turn is accused of recruiting jihadists into Somalia and bombing campaigns in Kenya.

Spies

Meanwhile, foreign Al Shabaab fighters in Somalia, including Kenyan jihadists, are increasingly becoming disillusioned with the movement, according to UN report released early this month.

Prepared by a panel that monitors Somalia and Eritrea for the UN Security Council, the report dated July 3 shows that Kenyan fighters have faced racism and financial difficulties inside Somalia at the hands of their hosts and are often accused of being spies.

Al Hijra, a group with links to Al Shabaab, is named as the main recruiting agency of Kenyans, Tanzanians and other East Africans for the Somali terrorist group, according to the report.

The report speaks of a growing exodus from Somalia of foreign Al Shabaab fighters, including those from Al Hijra in Kenya and others affiliated to al-Qaeda.