Ali Salim Gichunge alias Farouk had roots in Isiolo’s Kulamawe ‘Kwa Franco’ area and is believed to have been radicalised while working at a cyber cafe in the town.
After high school, Mr Gichunge had studied IT within the township before being employed at the hotel’s cybercafé.
It was during this time that Mr Gichunge’s behaviour completely changed, according to a manager at the hotel who also sought anonymity.
“He was a quiet and hardworking when he started working but after a while he became rude when questioned and turned extremely religious, attracting suspicious reactions from everyone,” said the source, adding that he could not have suspected that Mr Gichunge could fall in the hands of terrorists.
He grew beards, changed his dress code to kanzu, withdrew from friends, became conservative and spendthrift at the facility, leading to his eventual dismissal.
Mr Gichunge had a close ally who frequented the cybercafé to a point of personalising one of the computers for himself by setting up his own password. No client would be allowed to access the computer prompting the management to kick out the ‘supposed’ friend.
At some point, Mr Gichunge is said to have asked for a Sh10,000 loan explaining thus: “I need money and I am not in a position to raise the amount I require and I can only get it from you (my employer) but one day Inshallah, I will have it”.