Westgate terror suspects ask court for blanket, better diet ahead of their October 5 sentencing

Three suspects of the 2013 Westgate terror attack were on Friday arraigned at a Nairobi Court for their sentencing.

The sentencing was however postponed to October 5 with Magistrate Francis Andayi putting the trio on their defence.

The three are charged with their role in the Westgate terror attack, supporting a terror group and being in the country illegally.

During the Friday court appearance, one of the suspects, Mohammed Ahmed Abdi told the court that he needs an extra blanket, arguing that the cells are freezing cold.

The second suspect Liban Abdullahi complained of the diet saying the porridge has no sugar.

He also claimed that he has lately been taking only a little milk and bread after the beans and kales meal started affecting him.

“Kwa sasa nakunya uji na mkate na maziwa kidogo.niko na shida na maharagwe na skuma,” he said.

A third suspect, Hussein Hassan Mustafa said he has sight complications and is not able to see well.

In a short ruling Magistrate Andayi said that none of the accused persons seemed to have a serious medical issue adding that they appeared to be faring well.

The magistrate asked the prisoner in charge to address those issues and file a report in court .

The report is expected to be filed in 10 days of how he has addressed the complainants raised by the accused persons.

Gunmen opened fire on shoppers in the busy Westgate Mall on a Saturday in September 2013, killing at least 67 people and injuring more than 150 others.

Women carrying children run for safety as armed police hunt for gunmen who went on a shooting spree in Westgate shopping center in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 21, 2013.

The gunmen are believed to have died when the Kenyan army retook the mall. Abdullahi, Mustafa and Abdi were arrested in the weeks following the attack.

Prosecutors spent more than five years gathering evidence against the men, in part because more than 145 witnesses offered testimony.