The police in Kenya have arrested 14 individuals in relation to the recent kidnapping of an Italian aid worker Silvia Constanca Romano in Chakama in Kilifi County. Romano, 23worked for a non-governmental organization known as African Milele Onlus, had been staying in a house in the village.
The arrested are believed to have direct links with the kidnappers believed to be holding Ms. Romano. These events correlate with our recent assessment that Al-Shabaab has managed to plant small cells deeper into our interior and that these small cells may become headaches. The new recruits are used to launch attacks in remote parts of the county citing their geographical/terrain know-how of the county.
Police in the is have said that they are expanding their grid search area to include areas in Tana River county. The abductors have not made any demands and as such making the case a priority with Coast regional Police Boss Noah Mwivanda saying the suspects are being held by police to help with the investigation as some of them could have interacted with the kidnappers.
