Nyahururu ‘Al Shabaab suspects’ arraigned in court

BY JAMES MUNYEK

NYAHURURU, KENYA: Four suspects who were arrested in Nyahururu town and believed to have connections with the Al Shabaab terrorist group were today arraigned in court.

The four faced charges of illegal possession of firearms and preparing to commit a felony. Mohammed Dubo Ali, Anoor Isaac and an elderly Akorino couple (Petro Waithaka and Miriam Wambui) appeared calm as they faced Nyahururu Resident Magistrate Dennis Mikoyan in a fully packed courtroom. The four denied the charges read to them.

According to the prosecution led by Paul Omweri, the first two were arrested October 20 with 51 rounds of ammunition.

Police said the arrest followed a tip off from members of the public who had spotted them at the sprawling Maina slums.

Officers trailed them to a house that they were living in and discovered the ammunition, and a blood stained dagger.

Officer Omieri told the court that the couple was arrested on October 21 this year at their farm in the same area where two AK 47 rifles were recovered. Some 83 rounds of ammunitions were hidden in the farm.

The couple has since confessed to the police that they had been holding the guns for the last two weeks.

The prosecution pleaded with the court to remand the suspects at Nyahururu Police Station as the police conducted more investigations.

One of the suspects roused laughter in the courtroom after lamenting about the chill in the cells. He asked the court to provide them with blankets.

They will be arraigned in court on Thursday to seek bond and the case is set to be start on January 21 next year.