Bus companies linked to terror attacks in Kenya allowed back

NAIROBI: Four bus companies suspended over links to terrorism can now resume business.

Sabrin Bus Services Limited, E-Coach, City to City Bus Services Limited and G-Coach will also have their frozen accounts in various banks reopened.

This follows the signing of a consent between the Government and the companies, consequently terminating a case they have filed in court.

The consent was recorded on Thursday during a meeting called by the State Law Office and was filed at the High Court in Nairobi. The companies sued the Government in April for suspending their operations and freezing their accounts, on allegations that they were linked to terrorism.

This followed the April 2 terrorism attack at Garissa University College, in which 148 people were killed.

The bus companies operate the Nairobi, Garissa and Mandera routes. They were in a list of 86 individuals and organisations said to be supporting Al Shabaab operations, which was released on April 7.

The firms sued the Attorney General, Inspector General of Police, Interior Cabinet Secretary, the Counter Financing of Terrorism Inter-ministerial Committee, the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) and Central Bank of Kenya. They also sued other commercial banks including The Kenya Commercial Bank, Gulf Africa Bank, First Community Bank and Invesco Insurance Company.

They argued that the move was arbitrary, discriminatory and selective, adding that they incurred huge loses as a result of the ban.

They further claimed that there was no evidence linking them to terrorism. A letter from the Criminal Investigations Directorate had indicated that no evidence of terrorism had been received after investigating the four companies.

They had told the court that no official communication was made to them by the Government and that they had learned of the suspension through the media.