Mohammed Osman Aden, a Kenyan national, was Friday charged with the unlawful pos session of the explosives without licence, contrary to sections of the Kenyan law dealing with the licensing of fire-arms and explosives.
Nairobi Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei remanded the suspect in police custody until 3 November when his case would be heard.
Police sought his remand to allow police investigations to continue.
The man was arrested along the Nairobi-Mandera road.
Police said he was ferrying the explosives to Mandera, where a major Police operation has been launched to flush out suspected militia, hiding in the region, neighbouring Somalia and Southern Ethiopia, where rebels fighting the two governmen t s have been hiding.
Police sources have indicated the police are in possession of intelligence linking the ongoing insurgency in Somalia and Ethiopia to the Kenyan clans which have been engaging in what has been for a long-time considered hostilities against each other over the ownership of resources and grazing land.
Mandera, in the far flung corners of northern Kenya, about 1,200 kilometres away from the capital, hosts the Murule clan of the Somalis and the Gabre.
Police intelligence allege these communities are receiving the help of the Somali insurgents in the latest fighting to engulf the region.
Aden is facing two charges of transporting the explosives and a separate one of concealing the explosives and the detonators.
The charge sheet presented to the Nairobi law courts showed he was "transporting the detonators in circumstances which gave rise to reasonable suspicion that he was in possession of the said items for a lawful objective".
The charges further said he had acquired the blasting material illegally and contrary to the laws regulating the conveyance of the explosives without a written Police permission.
Local residents have told local media the operation has been targeting teachers and wealthy individuals.
Schools have been deserted as locals allege the teachers have been tortured.
Families have left homes in fear of the Police operation.
Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe said Thursday the security operation had been aimed at recovering arms in the hands of the local communities.
Police said the operation has led to the recovery of 68,000 guns and more than 2 0,000 rounds of ammunition.
However, locals insist they need the guns to protect themselves against bandits who cross from Somalia and Ethiopia to get cattle and cross over to the states.
Kenya and Ethiopia have signed a series of agreements allowing the security organs on both sides to pursue criminals from both sides.
The operations have failed to arrest the growing border insecurity.
Nairobi - 31/10/2008
Pana
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|