BY SAM ALFAN.
A former driver of Mandera County Government Driver accused of aiding the abduction of two Cuban doctors along the Kenya Somali border in 2019 has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Issack Ibrein Robow was also slapped with a further 25 years in jail for kidnapping and taking hostage the two Cuban doctors three years ago.
Landy Rodriguez (a surgeon) and Herera Correa (a general physician) were kidnapped by members of Al Shabaab terror group three years ago.
Robow was found guilty of four of the five counts in a ruling made last month.
The charges included committing a terrorist act, abduction, aiding and abetting a terrorist and obtaining registration by false pretense.
The court however acquitted him of the fifth count of being in Kenya illegally.
While passing the sentence, trial magistrate Martha Nanzushi noted that the offence of terrorism was very serious and an extremely dangerous crime that has negatively affected the Kenya.
“I have considered both submissions by prosecution and mitigation in the case. The court should, however, consider the seriousness of the offence. The impact left was serious as one officer died and two doctors disappeared”, the magistrate said.
In his mitigation, the former driver pleaded for leniency arguing that he was diabetic and also a first offender and a father of 11 children.
His lawyer chacha Mwita told the court that sources had indicated that the abducted Cuban doctors were safe and back in Cuba.
The Director of Public Prosecution however urged the court to give a maximum sentence noting that the pre-sentencing report filed by both the probation officer and the prison reflected the true position of how victims suffered.
The prosecution said the police officer who survived the heinous act has never recovered as he saw his colleague being shot at.
The court heard that the officer who witnessed the abduction of the doctors said they were taken away with the assistance of the accused.
“He has considered leaving his job as he is insecure and not safe. He admits to having nightmares and flashes from the incident. He will never recover from it,” the prosecution said.
