Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome Monday gave 19 people seven days to defend themselves as to why they cannot be declared Specified Entities.
Koome placed a notice in the dailies indicating his intention to declare the 19 persons Specified Entity.
A ‘special entity’ is a person or organization suspected to have committed, attempted, or prepared to commit a terrorist act.
Under Section 3 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), the IG is expected to notify the entities of his intention to recommend to the Interior Cabinet Secretary, that an order has been made declaring each of the entities named therein a Specified Entity.
They are expected to demonstrate within seven days why they should not be declared as specified entities.
The law requires that before the IG makes such recommendations, he must afford the affected entities a reasonable opportunity why they should not be considered terrorist sympathizers.
According to the notice, the suspects are expected to deliver their responses to the office of the IG at Jogoo House latest November 13.
They can also send an email to corporatecommunications@nationalpolice.go.ke
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (No.30 of 2012), the Inspector General of Police notifies the entities set out in the list attached hereto of his Intention to recommend to the Cabinet Secretary of Interior and National Administration that an Order be made declaring each of the entities as a Specified Entity.”
“In accordance with section 3(2) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (No,30 of 2012), the Inspector General of Police notifies the entities set out in the list hereunder to demonstrate within (7 days from the date of publication of this notice why they should not be declared as Specified Entity.
The written responses may be emailed to (corporatecommunications@nationalpolice.go.ke) or by hand delivery to Jogoo House,” the notice said.
The suspects include a Congolese and two Tanzanians.
Those notified are Kenyans Ramadhan Adan, Yusuf Abdalla Mustafa, Philip Kariuki Karanja alias Rashid Abdalla, Millan Mahugu Simba, Omar Seif Khamis, Osman Mohamed Balagha and Bahati Bora Uzima (Congolese).
Others are David Wambua (Tanzanian), Simon Karuga Gitau, Mohamed Ali Abikar, Hassan Edin Hassan, Musa Abdallah Kassim (Tanzanian), Mustafa Amiana Busia, Issack Ibrien Robow, Job Kimathi, Ismael Mona Otieno, Alfred Titiah Pamba, Charles Kibet Rono alias Bashir and Osman Lado Galle.
Such an order is given when the IG has reasonable grounds to believe that an entity has committed, attempted, or prepared to commit a terrorist act.
It can also be issued when an entity is believed to have participated in or facilitated the commission of a terrorist act.
They are also suspected of acting on behalf of, or at the direction of a terrorist organisation.
They may however apply to the IG requesting for the revocation of the order.
However, if the suspects are aggrieved by the decision of the IG, they may apply to the High Court for a review of that decision within a period of 60 days from the date of the receipt of the decision.
The law says the CS may, where he has reasonable grounds to believe that a specified entity is operating wholly or partly under a name that is not specified in the order or a different name from that specified in the order direct that the entity be treated as a specified entity under the Act and that the name of that entity which is not specified in that Schedule be treated as another name for the specified entity.
Police have in the past months heightened terror-related operations in the city in effort to disrupt plans to attack Kenya.
