Ex-Maseno University student gets 20 years for engaging in terrorism

A former Maseno University student has been jailed for 20 years by a Mombasa Court after being found guilty of engaging in terror-related activities.

Samuel Wanjala Wabwire alias Salim Mohamed was found guilty of engaging in terror-activities by radicalizing and recruiting school-going children to join the Al Shabaab terror group.

In her ruling, Mombasa Principal Magistrate Diana Mochache said that she was convinced that six pupils of Gotani Primary School, who were undergoing radicalization, gave a true account and evidence of being radicalized.

However, he (Mohamed) denied the allegations and pleaded with the court to be considerate in the sentencing saying that he is newly married and has a one-year old baby.

The former Maseno University Political Science student was accused of recruiting seven primary pupils into the Al-Shabaab terror group.

On December 16th, 2015, Wabwire, in his defense at Mombasa Law Courts before Principle Magistrate Diana Mochache, said he was just a victim of circumstances who had been framed by the committee members of Gadini Primary School who wanted him out of the school.

He denied being a member of the Al Shabaab terror group and that he never taught any student radical issues.

Wabwile said that he had no witness to call on because he had made his defense and it was upon the case to find that he was a victim of circumstance and hatred.

“I am a victim of circumstances and hatred, if the school and parents never wanted me in the village, they should have informed me to leave because I have plans to pursue my education further,” Wabwile was quoted by Hiiran as saying.

He said that he had been appointed as a Sheikh at Liwatoni Mosque in Kaloleni by Sheikh Hassan Omar to teach Islam and that was what he did.

“I was employed by Hassan Omar to assist in teaching at the mosque, I went there not to convert any child and I never taught radical subjects but just Islamic Religious Education.”

He, however, said there was a conflict between the Muslim parents and the non-Muslim parents over the registration of a nursery school into a fully-fledged Muslim nursery.

In a cross examination by state prosecutor Eugene Wangila, Wabwire said that he was suspended from the university for 1, 000 days because he organised and participated in a strike by political science students.

He said that at that time he was 21 years and the strike was because one of their colleagues had been beaten up by the security guards.

The accused was arrested at Kaloleni, Kilifi County in November for allegedly radicalizing and recruiting seven boys from Gadini Primary School in Kaloleni into the terror group and a member of Al Shabaab.