February 25, 2016: A Mandera Court in Kenya has sentenced 5 miners to 10 years for the crimes of travelling to Somalia with the intention of joining al Shabaab.
The 5 were in a group of 6 miners who worked and local quarry in Mandera County before the embarked on a trip to join the international recognized al Qaeda affiliate Somali-based Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen.
David Mburu, John Odhiambo, Pius Wambua, Nicholas Mukhoma and Peter Wainana were arrested on November 11, 2015 in Bulahawa town in Somalia alongside their recruiter Leosina Wanyonyi who fled after being able to raise the bond fined by the court.
Despite the miners claiming to have lost their way to the mine and found themselves in Somalia, a thorough investigation revealed that their travelling to Somalia was deliberate and solely aimed at joining the al Shabaab fighters.
The police also uncovered an alleged network that radicalizes miners with the promise of a better pay in Somalia compared to the little amount they gain from the quarries. The ATPU has also launched investigations on several quarry owners as they are suspected of harboring al Shabaab recruiters and facilitating the transport of the recruits into Somalia.
