Kenyan Gets Life for Grenade Attack, Shebab Membership
A Kenyan man was sentenced to life imprisonment Friday after he admitted involvement in a grenade attack and membership of the al-Qaida linked Somali Shebab militant group.
"This sentence is harsh because police have provided evidence showing he intended to hurt the public," said Judge Grace Macharia at the sentencing of Elgiva Bwire Oliacha. "It is also meant to be a deterrent," she added.
Police arrested 28-year old Oliacha Tuesday in a Nairobi district following two grenade attacks. He was held amid stepped up security in the wake of Shebab threats to attack the country in retaliation for Nairobi's military offensive in southern Somalia.
Police seized a cache of weapons including 13 grenades, ammunition and guns from Oliacha.
"I am very happy with the sentence, I am not going to appeal," said Oliacha, from western Kenya, who was not represented by a lawyer, and gave a wide smile as he was taken away by security forces.
On Monday, one person was killed in a grenade attack at a Nairobi bus stop hours after several others were wounded when a grenade was detonated in a bar.
Kenyan troops and tanks crossed into Shebab-controlled southern Somalia on October 16 to fight the insurgents it accuses of a series of kidnappings and attacks on its territory.
The extremist Shebab on Thursday called on Kenyan sympathizers to launch reprisal attacks against Nairobi, but its leaders have not claimed direct responsibility for the grenade attacks.
Kenya's offensive followed the kidnapping of four European women from its soil, all of whom are believed to have been taken to Somalia by their abductors.
Two men were charged earlier Friday with being members of Somalia's hardline Shebab militia, against whom Nairobi launched an offensive nearly two weeks ago in the south of the war-torn country.
Omar Muchiri and Stephen Macharia, both Kenyans, denied the charges. They also denied being accomplices of Oliacha.
Muchiri and Macharia were detained pending the resumption of their case on November 4.
Source: Agence France Presse
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