Court releases terrorism suspect on 2 million bond

A terror suspect in Mandera County was on Thursday released on bond after denying charges of collecting information for a cell and attempting to sneak out of the country to Somalia.

The principal magistrate’s court released Charles Munuhe Macharia on a bond of Sh2 million with two sureties of the same amount.

The case will be heard on June 16.

Mr Macharia, a driver from Kiamariga village in Nyeri County, was arrested in Mandera town on April 25 and held 10 days for investigations, following a court order.

In the first county, he is accused of collecting information for use in a terrorist act against security agencies and vital government installations in Mandera.

In the second count, Mr Macharia is accused of attempting to sneak out of the country.

Police said he asked locals about the shortest possible route to Somalia before they pounced on him.

In a sworn affidavit, police officer Ebonike Nyandega told the court that his colleagues were alerted by the public.

A police file showed Mr Macharia was apprehended in Koromey while trekking towards Arabia along the Kenya-Somalia border.

Police believe he was to be picked at Arabia center by a recruiter from Somalia.

Mr Macharia had travelled from Mombasa and stayed in Eastleigh in Nairobi before proceeding to Mandera by road.

“We believe he travelled from Mombasa to Mandera with the intention of crossing to Somalia to join terror group Al-Shabaab. His contact person resides in Eastleigh,” the police file stated.

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