Four people linked to Al Shabaab arrested in Nyahururu

By James Munyeki

NYAHURURU,KENYA: Police in Nyahururu town have arrested four people who are believed to be connected to the Al Shabaab group in different incidents.

The first two, a man and his wife were arrested at Maina slums and two AK 47 rifles recovered in a nearby maize plantation in their compound.

The two riffles had a total of 83 rounds of ammunition.

The arrest was immediately connected to another done on Sunday in the same slums where two men of Somali origin were arrested with 51 rounds of ammunition, an axe and a dagger.

The man Petro Waithaka and his wife Miriam Muthoni  have confessed to the police of having the two guns for the last two weeks which they hid in the maize plantation.

In the second arrest, Mohamed Dubow Ali, 41, and Anoor Isaac Adhan, 32, were nabbed in Nyahururu town as they were registering for M- Pesa membership with fake names.

"Mohamed said his name was Haron Wamai Gichohi while Anoor said his name was Peter Muturi Wamai, but their true identity was revealed when they were arrested , searched and IDs found bearing different names," said Nyandarua OCPD Benjamin Onsongo.

"We are yet to confirm whether they are connected to the illegal group from Somali," he noted.

The two Onsongo said hail from Tana River County in Bangale and Madogo areas. Their weapons had blood stains.

In the earlier incident which was on Sunday, the man and his wife had been trailed by local police after a tip off from members of the public.

According to Laikipia Deputy Commissioner Lucy Mulili who confirmed the incident, the two who were suspicious were new in the area which prompted residents to report them to the police.

The commissioner noted an increase in crime in the area for the past three weeks.

The police boss Onsongo and Commissioner Mulili attributed the arrests to embrace of the new presidential directive of knowing people in ten homes in every locality (Nyumba Kumi initiative)

The four suspects will be arraigned in court once investigations are complete.