Women with alleged Al-Shabaab links arrested in Kenya's remote village

A Kenyan AMISOM soldier in Kismayo, shortly after its capture from al-Shabaab, October 2012. Photo: UN Photo/Stuart Price

NAIROBI, Kenya - Detectives in Kenya have arrested a woman believed to have strong ties with Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants, following tips from locals who had suspected her movements within the village.

The Director of Criminal Investigations [DCI] said the woman, 22, whose name was not immediately revealed due to security reasons, was arrested by police in Soghor, Tinderet in Nandi County, about 300 km west of the capital, Nairobi.

Police said the suspect was cohabiting with a man at Kamalambu village in Nandi before the suspicious locals raised an alarm leading to her immediate arrest. In her own admission, police added, the woman confirmed that she was in Somalia for some time before returning to Kenya.

"The villagers’ fears were confirmed when during interrogation after being arrested, the woman told detectives that she had been in Somalia for two years after allegedly being kidnapped by members of the Alshabab terror network in Kilifi, in 2019," DCI said.

"She confessed to having been trained on weapon handling skills, hostage-taking, and use of explosives among other skills. The woman is said to have attended the recently concluded KDF recruitment exercise at different centers."

The Anti Terror detectives [ATPU] have since taken over investigations into the matter and shall be grilling the suspect for more information. The DCI thanked the members of the public in Tinderet, Nandi county who volunteered information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

"This kind of mutual partnership between the public and police officers is highly encouraged since a secure nation is our collective responsibility. Should you have any information that you would wish to share with us anonymously, please dial 0800 722 203 and speak to our agents, " DCI added.

Her arrest comes after three Al-Shabaab convicts escaped from Kenya's most secure correctional facility, the Kamiti Maximum Prison in Nairobi. The three have already been slapped with additional 15 months for jailbreak.

Recently, the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] has been recruiting prospective soldiers and the said suspect was keen to join. There have been reports of possible collaboration between the security officers and Al-Shabaab terrorists, a reason why the government has called for vigilance.

Kenya is one of the countries which has struggled to contain Al-Shabaab activities but in recent weeks, incidents of terror attacks have substantially reduced. Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa are some of the counties which have attracted high cases of terrorism.

GAROWE ONLINE