Terror convict Victor Bwire jailed 30 years over plot to blow up KICC

A court on Friday sentenced boda boda rider Victor Odede Bwire, found guilty of conspiring to stage a terror attack at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi in 2019, to 30 years in prison.

Bwire used Facebook to collect data and share it with terrorists in Somalia with the intention to bomb the iconic KICC building.

Friday's ruling was by Milimani senior principal magistrate Bernard Ochoi.

In a ruling delivered on Monday, the magistrate said that all details as narrated by the prosecution and Mr Bwire’s own admission led him to conclude that he was guilty of two counts: conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and collection of information for use in the commission of a terrorism act, with the latter offense carrying a prison term of not more than 30 years.

“It is my finding also that the prosecution has proved both counts beyond reasonable doubt and he is convicted of the same,” the magistrate said.

In the first count of conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, Bwire was sentenced to serve 10 years imprisonment while in the second count of collection of information in an attempt to commit a terrorist attack at the KICC building, he was jailed for 20 years.

The magistrate said these sentences will be served simultaneously. Meaning, he will only serve 20 years in jail.

Ochoi dismissed his mitigation for a non-custodial sentence saying that the offense he committed does not warrant one to be committed to community serve.

He further concurred with the prosecutor that the offence is serious and beckons for a harsh sentence.

The court noted to free him at this moment will jeopardize the ongoing search for the most wanted international terrorist Mohamed Yare Abdalla whom the American government has placed a tag of USD 10 million on his head upon arrest.

Abdalla was also a conspirator of Bwire for the intended attack on KICC and other Government installations. He is also the mastermind of the Dusit terror attack which left scores dead.

In his mitigation Bwire through his lawyer, Chacha Mwita had pledged to assist local and international crime busters in tracking down and bringing to book Abdalla in abide to tame terrorism the world over.

The convict disclosed to the court he roped and enlisted in the terrorist movement for purpose of earning a living and living well just like the affluent in society.

He also said that during his incarceration at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, high-placed security personnel and senior government officials drawn from local and international agencies visited him to solicit vital information on the whereabouts of Abdalla and two others fugitives held up in Somalia.

The jailing of Bwire is a breakthrough in smashing terrorism within this region of the horn of Africa.

The convict had opened three Facebook accounts which he used to collect data and disseminate the same to Somalia-based terror group, Al-Shabaab as well as two masterminds of the intended attack including Abdalla. The three Facebook accounts were opened using pseudo names.

Bwire is said to have been recruited in executing the planned attack by his cousin Elgiva Bwire.

His duties were to collect information on the security details at KICC, how searches are conducted at the entrances, and how many roadblocks are erected along Nairobi-Moyale-Wajir roads.

In his judgment, the magistrate stated that according to the prosecution, a forensic analysis of three phones seized from Bwire upon his arrest showed he had sent information on KICC's security arrangement to contacts in Somalia.

The forensic analysis of the phones also revealed that Bwire had been a terror agent who was receiving payments from a Somalia-based terrorist group including a terrorist by the name of Mohamed Mohammed.

Magistrate Ochoi further noted that Bwire confessed that he met with one of the terrorist masterminds Abdalla who sought crucial information about entry and exit routes.