I7 youths have been arrested by Kwale County police in Kinango. The youths were nabbed in a safe house in Samburu allegedly on claims they were being processed to join al-shabab in Somalia.
The suspects, 15 men and two young women, are aged between 18 and 27 years, according to police, who claimed the youths’ homes had been traced to the Coast and Rift Valley regions.
The alleged owner of the house fled before police arrived, according to reports that did not identify him or her by name.
Kinango police boss John Kemboi told reports on the phone Monday evening that police acting on intelligence stormed the two-bedroom house at around 12am on Sunday and seized the youths.
Police said they were looking for the owner of the house, whom sources said had gone underground.Another source claimed that the youth have been living a happy life, eating well and enjoying themselves.
“The youths are from Tana River, Baringo, Rongai in Nakuru, Mombasa and Kilifi, according to their identification cards,” said the police chief.
Two of the suspects told police they had completed Form Four but could not go to university due to lack of fees. Others are Class Seven dropouts.
“We have handed them to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit,” said the police boss.