Kisumu anti-terror operation: 5 suspects moved to Nairobi
Vehicles are pictured in a traffic jam in Kisumu County as police searched on May 9, 2021 for suspected terrorists said to have sneaked into the county.
What you need to know:
- The suspects were arrested in a two-day operation by a multi-agency team of officers from Kisumu and Nairobi.
Five people arrested over the weekend in a police operation to find terror suspects believed to have sneaked into Kisumu have been transferred to Nairobi for further investigations.
The suspects were held at Kondele Police Station until Monday, when they were taken to court.
Officers from the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) asked the court to allow them to hold the suspects for 10 more days to complete the probe before preferring charges against them.
The five are Jamal Muhamud, Abdul Razzaq, Nadeen Muhammad, Amin Muhammad and Younas Muhammad, all Pakistanis.
They were moved at 3.44pm on Monday, according to the Occurrence Book at Kondele Police Station, guarded by about four ATPU officers.
Kisumu County Commander Samuel Anampiu said they made the move considering the challenges of a language barrier and difficulties finding an interpreter.
“The suspects were escorted to Nairobi, taking into account the Covid-19 issues involved and the need for authentication of documents by the immigration department, among others,” said Mr Anampiu.
Heightened surveillance
The five people were arrested in a two-day operation by a multi-agency team of officers from Kisumu and Nairobi.
Mr Anampiu said that acting on intelligence reports, his team arrested two Pakistani nationals at about 11am on Saturday, along Kisumu-Kakamega Road near the Mamboleo roundabout.
For the better part of Sunday morning, once again guided by intelligence, police apprehended three more people along Kisumu-Ahero Road.
The arrests came as Kisumu heightened surveillance and security operations ahead of Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, an occasion which President Uhuru Kenyatta will attend.
The county is also keenly monitoring travel following eight cases of Covid-19 infections resulting from the deadly virus variant that has ravaged India.
Meanwhile, Kenya has added five countries to its list of countries whose nationals must undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine when they travel to the country.
The countries are Brunei, Thailand, Kuwait, Pakistan and Czech Republic.
