By James Shimanyula
NAIROBI
A Kenyan court on Thursday slapped one Israeli and one Moroccan with a year each in jail for being in Kenya illegally, while still putting them on trial to face terrorism-related charges.
"Considering the nature of circumstances of the offence, each accused is on the first count sentenced to one year imprisonment," Nairobi Principal Magistrate Peter Ndwiga ruled.
Jabreen Ahmad, who holds Israeli citizenship and goes by the names Ahmed Mohamoud Salias and Harun Osama, and Moroccan Mohamed Salim, alias Daud, both pleaded guilty to charges of being in Kenya illegally.
Before leaving court to start serving their sentences, however, Ndwiga told the two men that they would be back in court on June 5 to answer six other charges related to terrorism.
The charges include alleged membership in Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group, illegal possession of equipment used to carry out terrorist acts, and illegal possession of videos showing Al-Shabaab militants undergoing military training.
State Counsel Susan Kuruge told the court the two men had been apprehended based on a tip-off about suspicious-looking Arabs who rarely left their homes.
Law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, stopped the suspects, and – after scrutinizing their passports – discovered their visas had expired.
Ahmad was accused of being a member of Al-Shabaab – which is outlawed in Kenya – because he was found carrying a memory stick that contained a photo of him holding an AK-47 rifle.
Salim was accused of having been found in possession of a memory stick that contained videos of him taking part in military and physical training exercises.
The two men, who were not represented legally, denied the terror-related charges through an Arabic interpreter.
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Veteran Kenyan criminal lawyer Agina Ojwang said the court wanted to send a clear message.
"By jailing them, the court is sending a strong message that if you come, and you are caught, you will be jailed. You will not pay the high fine and go away and repeat it," he told Anadolu Agency.
Ojwang welcomed the ongoing crackdown on anyone suspected of being associated or sympathizing with Al-Shabaab militants.
"So far we have done a commendable job. The Kenya police force ought to be credited for this," he asserted.
"Since it formed an anti-terrorist unit, it has done commendable work in training members of the unit and equipping the unit so that it can rise to the occasion," said Ojwang.
The government has launched a major crackdown, especially in the coastal city of Mombasa, on people suspected of being associated with Al-Shabaab militants.
One Somali and a Kenyan of Somali origin were arrested in Mombasa earlier this week on charges of plotting to carry out a major attack on innocent Kenyans living near the coast.
Magdalene Mukami contributed to this report
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