He is of Somali origin : How he used bus from Kenya to Uganda
The police are looking for a terrorist, believed to be of Somali
origin, who boarded a Kampala-bound bus from Nairobi, beat the border
security at Busia, and sneaked into the country. According to the
Inspector General of Police, Lt Gen Kale Kayihura, the suspect, whom he
did not identify by name, is on Kenya's list of most wanted terrorists.The suspect's image has been plastered all over Nairobi city, with
police imploring the public to report immediately if they see him."He was detected in a Kalita bus last week by one of the passengers since his photograph has been displayed in Nairobi city."This passenger took his photograph using a phone after seeing him
getting out of the bus near the border point and then boarding it again
after crossing the border," Kayihura said at a news conference
yesterday.
Kayihura believes the bus driver and conductor connived with the
suspect. Kalita Transporters Ltd is one of the largest bus companies in
the country, owned by Patrick Lucky, a businessman based in Fort Portal.
According to police, the suspect boarded bus registration number KBF
057N in Limuru town, 30 kilometres outside Nairobi.
The bus had just left the city at about 7am but suddenly stopped to pick this passenger, which was unusual.
"Before leaving Nairobi, the passengers were photographed, as is the
routine before a bus takes off. [Thirty kilometres] out of Nairobi at
Limuru village, the bus made an unscheduled stop and picked a male
passenger," Kayihura said.
The passenger had a rucksack, arousing suspicion from other
passengers. About three kilometres towards Busia border post, the
passenger, who appeared uneasy throughout the journey, alighted. To
avoid detection, it is believed, the suspect sneaked through a narrow
path often used by smugglers to enter the country.
"The bus and the other passengers went through the routine
immigration and customs checks at Busia boarder and then continued with
their journey to Kampala," said Kayihura.But barely three kilometres after leaving the border post in Busia,
the bus again stopped and the same passenger, who had alighted on the
Kenyan side, was let in. When the bus approached the outskirts of
Kampala, the same passenger wanted to alight, but according to an
eyewitness, the conductor told him that he would be picked up by someone
at a certain location in the city."We have reason to believe that this passenger, whose photograph was
taken by a member of the public, is one of the wanted terrorists being
looked for by security authorities in the region. We are working with
the Kenyan authorities on establishing the identity and whereabouts of
this individual," Kayihura said.According to security sources, the terror suspects who carried out an
audacious attack in Kampala during the World Cup final on July 11, 2010
also ferried their bomb making equipment by bus from Nairobi. The
manager of Kalita Transporters Ltd., Mike Asaba, said he wasn't aware
that his company could have transported a terror suspect.However, he noted that as a bus company, they always adhere to stringent security measures before recruiting their workers."We ask for their passports," he said, before revealing the
identities of the bus drivers who plied the Nairobi-Kampala route the
day the suspect travelled.
Asaba gave the drivers' first names as Shaffiq and Ben. The conductor
was indentified as Siati, a Kenyan of Somali origin, who recently asked
for leave to return home for burial."We are so strict that when the bus reaches Nairobi, the manager in
the bus goes with it to the washing bay and later the bus has to be
checked by a metal detector upon return," Asaba said.Kayihura appealed to members of the public who may have seen the
suspect, or know his whereabouts, to alert the police immediately.
Police is planning to pin posters of his image all over the country.
Since the Monday bomb blast in Nairobi that injured 30 people, Uganda
has been placed on terror alert.Kayihura urged proprietors of hotels, night clubs, restaurants,
entertainment centres, bars and show grounds to institute security
measures or risk closure.
ADF's Mukulu Kayihura reiterated the ever present threat from international
terrorist organisations such as al-Qaeda, which he said are working with
Jamil Mukulu's Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
"Terrorism is still high; we are a target of ADF, al-Shabab and
al-Qaeda. Jamil Mukulu uses Ugandan passports and commits terrorism
[acts] in the United Kingdom and Nairobi, where he has homes," Kayihura
said.
The IGP threatened to go on hunger strike if Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) did not step up community policing measures.
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