From Eastleigh robbery to DRC church bombing: Abdirizak Muktar Garad
Abdirizak Muktar Garad.
Abdirizak Muktar Garad, the man behind the recent bombing of a church in Kasindi near the DRC/Uganda border was once a wanted man by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sleuths.
In July 2022, the sleuths announced to the members of the public through their accounts on Twitter and Facebook that the suspect Mr Muktar was linked to the disappearance of Sh11 million from a safe at Salama Centre Building in the Eastleigh area, Nairobi.
The sleuths had asked Kenyans to report to them about his whereabouts if they had any information through their toll-free number 0800722203.
“DCI is appealing to the members of the public for any information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect who has since gone into hiding,” DCI said in its statement last year.
The announcement was made at a time when security had intensified the fight against robbery which had risen in the country.
Hardly seven months later, the wanted suspect is dominating headlines for atrocities against innocent people across the border.
Mr Muktar’s heinous crime claimed the lives of 17 locals and left about 20 others seriously injured.
The 29-year-old had been arrested by the Congolese army FARDC and is expected to be arraigned once the investigation is closed.
The suspect is believed to be a member of the Allied Defence Forces (ADF) terror group which the army spokesperson Anthony Mualushay linked to the attack.
The terror group is suspected to have placed the IED at the Protestant church during its Sunday morning service.
Kasindi area is located less than 100 km from Beni town in Eastern DRC and is under the watch of Ugandan and DRC forces which have mounted a campaign against ADF.
The terror group is part of the more than 120 armed groups that have been fighting in Eastern DRC leaving thousands dead and others displaced.
This comes as former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta heads a peace-talk mission that is meant to end the war in the Eastern part of DRC where the M23 rebellion has been fighting with the government forces.
