A Kenyan court on Tuesday remanded three terror suspects of Somali origin for engaging in terrorist activities in the East African nation.
The suspects – Habiba Abdillahi Guled (Canadian-Somali), Jamal Ali alias Kamau and Bashir Mohamed Ali – appeared before Narok Chief Magistrate Wilbroda Juma who remanded the suspects until Aug. 17 when their cause will come up for mention.
State prosecutors had earlier told the magistrate that the trio will have to be detained to establish the authenticity of their documents.
The State prosecutor argued that the three suspects should not be released on bail as it would jeopardize the ongoing investigations.
The application sought to give the police time to verify the validity of the Canadian-Somali, allow the police to conduct a search on Bashir’s home in Nanyuki in central Kenya and to grant the police permission to scrutinize the suspects’ mobile phones and Simcards for any links to terror activities.
Defence lawyer Daniel Ombati applied for their release on bond arguing that they would have suffered in detention for no reason if found innocent.
The three suspects were arrested on Sunday in Narok County, northwest of Kenya following a tip-off from members of the public.
The police have stepped up security surveillance across the country following intelligence reports that Somali militants were planning to carry out retaliatory terror attacks in the East African nation.
Security forces have increased surveillance measures in key installations, private and public places and urged the public to exercise caution while dealing with people with ulterior motives
The country has witnessed several hit-and-run grenade attacks in recent months in the capital, Nairobi, and in northern Kenya and Mombasa port city.
Kenyan authorities often blame such attacks on Al-Qaida-affiliated Al-Shabaab rebels from neighbouring Somalia. Enditem
