By Richard Munguti
Tuesday January 17, 2023
Victor Bwire when he appeared in court. PHOTO | RICHARD MUNGUTI
A man has been who conspired with a terrorist serving life imprisonment and other terror groups in Somalia to blow up Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in January 2019 has been convicted.
Victor Odende Bwire was found guilty of two counts conspiracy to blow up KICC and other government installations by Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi.
Ochoi said the prosecution, led by James Gachoka, proved beyond reasonable doubt that Bwire conspired to commit a terrorist attack and collection of crucial information for purposes of committing a terrorist attack at KICC.
“After analyzing all the testimony tendered by the prosecution this court finds that all the ingredients of the offences have been proven beyond doubt and is hereby convicted accordingly,” Mr Ochoi ruled.
The magistrate observed that Bwire, had admitted that he had been enrolled by terror groups and a mastermind of the attack Mohamed Yare Abdalla, who is a terrorist serving life sentence at the Kamiti Maximum Prison.
Bwire had been detailed to collect intelligence reports on KICC’s security details, parking areas and its environs prior to the planned attack by terrorist.
The convict had opened three Facebook accounts which he used to collect data and disseminate the same to Somalia. Further, he confessed in court that he had been enlisted by the mastermind of the attack, Mr Abdalla.
The magistrate further stated that according to prosecution a forensic analysis of phones seized from Bwire showed he had sent information on KICC’s security arrangement and other government installations to terror groups contacts in Somalia.
Bwire, who is a terror agent, was receiving payments from a Somalia-based terrorist group for availing crucial information.
The court observed that the evidence adduced before it by an FBI detective Scott John cast some light in the detailed plot and also unearthed the information which gave links to the impending terror attack on governments installations including Supreme Court, KICC and NSSF buildings in Nairobi.
Following the revelation, government security personell were deployed in the said buildings and undercover detectives were posted in key areas around the said target government offices to collect information and data that led to Bwire’s arrest and his co-accused Abdallah.
The magistrate remanded the convict until February 8, 2023 when he will pass sentence after getting a report on victims impact.