- Msanzu is not new to terrorism-related cases as he was first arrested on May 26, 2017 by a multi-agency team in Takaungu Vuma area within Kilifi County
- He had promoted al-Shabaab ideology by posting extremist materials in online platform.
A Kenyan who was arrested in Tanzania while headed for DRC to join a terror group was deported back to the country.
Shida Jacob Msanzu alias Hussein Yaqub, 28, was handed over to Kenyan authorities and said he was headed to DRC to help his “brothers” in fighting injustice.
He was arrested in Tanzania as he tried to cross to Uganda on April 4, and later handed over to Kenya, police said.
He was presented to Kahawa Law court to face charges related to terrorism on April 18 and the court granted police five days to detain him to enable them to complete their investigations.
Teams led by Anti-terrorism Police Unit want to know his network among other things.
So far, according to insiders, police investigations have revealed that Msanzu traveled to Tanzania on December 29, 2022, and he had planned to travel to DRC via Uganda.
Msanzu is not new to terrorism-related cases as he was first arrested on May 26, 2017, by a multi-agency team in the Takaungu Vuma area within Kilifi County where he was reported to have promoted al-Shabaab ideology by posting extremist materials on an online platform.
The suspect was presented in Malindi Law Court to answer four terror-related charges including radicalization and possession of articles connected to the commission of terrorism act contrary to the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Msanzu denied the charges levelled against him and later on December 16, 2022, the court acquitted him for lack of enough evidence.
However, police believe that throughout his trial, Msanzu was still harbouring plans to join terrorist entities either in Somalia, Mozambique or DRC.
This is demonstrated by the way he left the country two weeks later after his acquittal.
Msanzu attended Vuma Primary School and later joined Kwajuni Polytechnic where he studied electrical courses up to grade three.
In late 2012, he enrolled at Majlis Maarifaa Madrassa in Kikambala Kilifi County for madrassa classes.
During that time, he started sharing radical content through his Facebook page by influencing others to join terror groups and make the journey to Somalia.
Msanzu joined a long list of terror suspects granted bonds or acquitted by the courts for lack of enough evidence and later travelled out of the country to join the terror groups as foreign fighters.
Image: HANDOUT
They include; Salim Rashid Mohamed aka Chotara who was in early 2017 arrested while trying to cross over to Syria while a student at Istanbul Kultur University. He was later deported.
On arrival, Chotara was charged at Shanzu Law Court and acquitted for lack of evidence.
Later in May 2019, he was arrested at Moi International Airport en route to Syria through Sudan.
He was arraigned and was released with a Sh3 million bond on the condition to appear in court.
He jumped bail and travelled to DRC through the Busia border point. Chotara was later arrested in 2022.
Image: HANDOUT
Alfan Juma, a close associate of Chotara was arrested in December 2018 in Elwak trying to cross over to Somalia.
He was presented in Shanzu Law Court and later released on bond from Shimo La Tewa in 2018.
The suspect never appeared again in court as he was reported to have fled to join Daesh in DRC.
Balicha Bajaja Abakunde alias Gobu was arrested on July 25, 2018, and charged with being in possession of a firearm without a license and unlawful presence in Kenya.
He was also found in the custody of a Kenyan ID where he was granted a bond of Sh300,000 or cash bail of Sh200,000 plus one Kenyan surety.
He was to appear in court for a hearing on August 27, 2018, but never showed up and his whereabouts traced him back to al-Shabaab headquarters in Jilib, Somalia.
Image: HANDOUT
Trevor Ndwiga Nyaga aka Jamal Idris was another terror suspect who jumped bail.
He was arrested in March 2019 but released and was re-arrested in November 2019 where he was arraigned in December 2019 in court to answer charges of intending to conduct a terror attack against a church in Nairobi.
He was released with a Sh2 million surety and later fled to Somalia to join al-Shabaab in September 2021.
Police say terror threats are still rife hence the continued need for vigilance.
Kenya has been a victim of terrorism in the past where dozens were killed and others wounded.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki says they have thwarted dozens of planned terror attacks.