BY SAM ALFAN.
Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti has welcomed the sentencing of a driver who kidnapped two Cuban doctors to life imprisonment saying justice has been served.
Isaac Ibrien Robow was found guilty of aiding the abduction of the Cuban doctors in 2019 and was handed life sentence by a Nairobi court, this week.
The former Mandera county government driver was found guilty of kidnapping Cuban doctors Dr Assel Herrera Correa and Dr Landy Rodriguez Hernandez in April 2019..
“The DCI thanks Nanzushi, for the sentence, as it provides a semblance of justice to the deceased’s family, friends and colleagues and the families of the two abducted Cuban doctors,” Kinoti said.
The two doctors were abducted on April 12, 2019, along the Mandera – Garissa highway. They were later released following negotiations between their country and the terrorists.
Detectives from the DCI conducted comprehensive investigations into the case and preferred charges against the suspect contrary to Section 4 (2) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act No. 30 of 2012.
On the fateful morning at around 9am, a government vehicle GK A221U, Toyota Hillux, that was ferrying the two doctors and two police escort came under attack from Al-Shabaab terrorists.
The court noted that Robow stopped the vehicle and never made any attempts to escape or disembark from the vehicle.
Equally, the attackers who appeared well-briefed shot and killed the police escort seated on the co-driver’s seat, as his colleague on the back seat escaped death narrowly, by jumping from the vehicle.
All the while, the driver who escaped the onslaught unscathed sat behind the wheel unperturbed, as the terrorists forcefully ejected the doctors from the vehicle and escaped with them to the neighbouring Somalia.
Detectives found this case very unique since under normal circumstances, drivers are targeted first, to stop the car. The driver in this case never attempted to swerve to the right or left, turn back or even drive through the attackers.
The vehicle was also heavily tinted and how the attackers knew the sitting arrangement without prior information, only reinforced the detectives’ position.
While pronouncing the sentence at Milimani senior principal magistrate Martha Nanzushi, observed that the attackers were aware of the target’s position and it was clear the gunmen targeted the officer seated on the front passenger seat.
The terrorists brutally took the life of a gallant police officer, Constable Mutundo Kitambo, attached to the Administration Police, Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit in Mandera.
The attackers deprived a family of a loving husband, father and breadwinner..
DCI Kinoti was happy with the decision and more specifically the elite sleuths based at the Anti Terror Police Unit (ATPU), who handled the case.
The Anti-terror police have severally been captured swinging swiftly into action thwarting any attempt by the somalia based militia to commit terrorism act in the country.
On August 24 last year, top-notch Anti-terror sleuths arrested two men suspected to be wanted terrorists at the busy Likoni Kenya Ferry Service crossing channel, Mombasa.
Anti-Terror Police intercepted a white Toyota Probox at the Likoni ferry and arrested the two suspects before they could board one of ferries plying between Mombasa Island and Likoni mainland.
The hooded officers handcuffed and blindfolded the suspects and bundled them into police vehicles.
Terrosist sshould never dare our elite Anti-terror Unit officers.
