Terror convict Abdimajit Hassan Adan who had planned to bomb Milimani Law Courts and other government buildings in 2018 has been sentenced to 19 years in jail.
Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul condemned Abdimajit together with Mohammed Osman Nane to a 19-year sentence each after being found guilty of possessing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), seven projectile bombs and AK 47 rifles.
The magistrate also jailed the duo's co-accused Lydia Nyawira Mburu to a three-year jail term for the offence of forging an ID bearing the name Jirma Huka Galgalo (deceased) who was a member of the Al Shabaab terror group.
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While sentencing them, the magistrate noted the offence facing them was serious and it was not proper for her to grant them a non-custodial sentence.
Abdul had handed Abdimajit and Osman a jail term of 25 years in prison but stated they would only serve 19 years considering the six years they had been in custody during the trial of the case.
Last month Abdul found Abdimajit Hassan Adan and Mohammed Osman Nane guilty of nine counts including being members of the terror group al Shabaab and being in possession of dangerous weapons including 36 hand grenades, AK-47 firearms and 1099 ammunition.
"I find that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the charges Abdimajit, Osman and Nyawira herein beyond reasonable doubt and l, therefore, convict them accordingly," the magistrate ruled
While convicting the trio, the magistrate ruled that the prosecution proved its case against them using 48 witnesses how Hassan, who is the mastermind worked with several Kenyans who helped him acquire fake documents and move around before the intended botched terror mission.
Evidence adduced in court shows that Abdimajit Hassan Adan worked closely with Mohammed Osman Nane and Lydia Nyawira Mburu.
In her decision, the magistrate detailed each role of the two aides of Hassan, who was arrested in Merti, Isiolo, as he transported a vehicle laden with a total of 110 kilogrammes of Trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosives, five AK-47 rifles, 36 gun magazines, three modified Nokia phones, 36 unprimed hand grenades, 18 pairs of grenade primers, five military-grade projectiles, and three military knives.
The magistrate said that there was overwhelming evidence that Hassan and Osman were found possessing IEDs including seven projectile bombs to commit a terrorist act on February 15, 2018, in the Matarba area, Merti Sub-county within Isiolo County on various government institutions in the city.
It is said that the terrorist had targeted the Supreme Court as the epicentre of the bomb attack, which would have been followed by successive explosions at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Parliament Buildings, County Hall, Technical University of Kenya, Central Bus Station, Jeevanjee Gardens, Serena Hotel, the University of Nairobi, and Milimani Law Courts.
According to witnesses who testified in court, Abdimajit was motivated to carry out the bombing in an effort to free a Marsabit Muslim teacher, Guyo Gorsa Boru Sheikh who was to be arraigned at Milimani Law Court precincts for plea-taking.
“The respondents were headed to launch an attack at the Milimani Chief Magistrate court on February 16 when the Sheikh was expected to appear in court to take a plea in terrorism and related charges and the attack was meant to illegally free him from custody,” police informed the court.
