NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 1 – A 22-year-old woman was on Tuesday arrested in Nandi County over links to terrorism operatives.
The suspect who claimed to have been allegedly kidnapped from Kilifi County two years ago, was apprehended following a tip off from the members of the public, according to a police report.
“Today (Tuesday) at around 1730hrs following an information from the members of the public, on 29/11/2021 that there was an alleged suspected terrorist at Kamalambu village in Songhor ward M/R YQ 542978 North East of the Station about 10kms. Police rushed to Kamalambu village and managed to arrest one SHERIL VUGUSTA LODENYO a luhya female adult aged 22yrs of ID/no. 37000146 of Vihiga County, Chavakali,” the police said.
The police said that upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to have undergone training on weapon handling, kidnapping, robberies and use of explosives with Al-Shabaab following her alleged abduction in 2019.
The suspect alleged to have escaped through Lamu/Mombasa and headed to her home county where she allegedly stayed until August, 2021 and later to Kamalambu in Nandi where she was residing until the time of her arrest.
Police stated that preliminary information received indicated that the suspect had been to numerous Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment centers with yet to be established intentions.
“Information received is that she has been attending recent KDF recruiting centers. Motive yet to be established. The suspect is being escorted to Kapsabet Police Station awaiting collection by Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) Eldoret,” police said.
Security agencies, the ATPU in particular, have over the years heightened vigilance on the coastal and northern region bordering some counties in the rift valley where terror recruitment activities have been concentrated in the past.
A recent report however indicates that radical groups are now shifting their focus to other tons such as Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri and the Western region.
According to the Reducing Insecurity and Violent Extremism in the Northern and Coastal regions of Kenya (RE-INVENT) 2021 report, islamist radicalization and recruitment in ‘new’ areas of violent extremism is primarily taking place in mosques, madrassas and schools.
“Despite the suggestion that recent changes in radicalization and recruitment have coincided with an apparent increase in the use of the internet, this study established that that radicalisation and recruitment activities in ‘new’ areas of VE are largely taking place face-to-face in mosques, madrassas and schools,” the report released in June 2021 reads in part.
“These institutions normally provide VE operators and actors with the necessary platforms for radicalisation (in particular, dissemination of newsletters, the issuance of radical/extremist sermons, and the broadcasting of DVDs featuring speeches of radical and extremist preachers); and provide the networks and resources required for travel to Somalia and beyond for military training,” it adds.
