President William Ruto has landed under sharp focus just weeks after removing the mandatory vetting for ID applicants in the North Eastern region.
This follows the emergence of reports that one of the two men arrested for allegedly planning the abduction of locals in Mandera and North Eastern fraudulently acquired a Kenyan identity card after crossing over from somalia.
Mandera County detectives are holding two suspects linked to the foiled plot targeting Chinese nationals working on a government project.
The suspects, identified as Isaack Abdi Mohamed alias Kharan Abdi Hassan and Noor Yakub Ali, are accused of coordinating terror activities in the region.
President William Ruto speaking dyuring a past event. Photo: William Ruto Source: Facebook
Mandera County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) Pius Gitari confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects were in custody pending their arraignment.
“We are holding two suspects linked to the coordination of al-Shabaab terror activities in Mandera. Interrogations are ongoing before they are presented in court,” Gitari said.
According to police reports, Mohamed, believed to be a Somali national, illegally crossed into Kenya and fraudulently obtained an ID card, allowing him to move freely.
Investigations further revealed that he had conspired to abduct foreign workers and transport them to El-Ade, Somalia, for ransom.
Authorities say Mohamed paid a local informant Sh100,000 to facilitate the abduction of the Chinese workers involved in the Mandera Water and Sewerage project.
A template of Kenya’s National ID card. Photo: Tuko Source: IG
The multi-million-shilling project, launched in 2018 and funded by the African Development Bank, has faced repeated threats from terror groups operating along the Kenya-Somalia border.
Police further disclosed that the abductees were to be taken across the border for a fee of Sh300,000.
The arrests come amid increased security operations in Mandera, following the recent abduction of five local chiefs who are reportedly being held in Jilib, Somalia.
This latest incident has sparked renewed debate on the security risks posed by Ruto’s recent directive to scrap the stringent vetting process for ID applicants in North Eastern Kenya, raising concerns that terror elements could be exploiting the relaxed rules to infiltrate the country.
