Police in Kinango, Kwale County, have arrested 17 youths in a safe house in Samburu township whom they claimed were being processed to join Al Shabaab 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.
According to Kinango police boss John Kemboi phone call to standard , revealed that police acting on intelligence stormed the two-bedroom house at around 12am on Sunday and seized the youths.
Upon further interrogation, the suspects told police they had been staying in the house for the past one month awaiting further “directions”.
“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.Mr Kemboi hinted that during the raid, crucial documents that would be helpful in the investigations were found.
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.Separately, a court in Nyeri allowed police to detain three suspects linked to the attack on 14 Riverside Drive complex and dusitD2 hotel, Nairobi, for five more days.
Nyeri Resident Magistrate Nelly Kariuki gave police until Friday to continue holding Abdul Kibiringi, James Mwai Mwangi and Habiba Gedi Hunshur.Ms Kariuki ordered that the suspects be detained at Nyeri Central Police Station.