Police arrest KDF recruit who threatened to join al-Shabaab

A KDF candidate was arrested on May 16, 2017 in Nyeri after he altered the grades on his KCSE result slip with a pen. PHOTO | NICHOLAS KOMU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • A second recruit was nabbed by military police after he tried to forge his KCSE result slip at the same venue.
  • Disgruntled, the 22-year-old told KDF officers that he would join the Somalia-based terror group, complaining that he had been denied a spot in the military.
  • The two suspects were handed over to the police and were taken to the Mweiga Police Station for questioning.

A man was arrested on Tuesday for threatening to join Al-Shabaab after failing a medical test during the second day of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruitment at Mweiga Stadium in Nyeri.

At the same site, a second recruit was nabbed by military police after he altered the grades on his KCSE result slip.

Though Hosea Ng’ang’a had met all preliminary qualifications, he failed the medical test and was dismissed.

Disgruntled, the 22-year-old told KDF officers that he would join the Somalia-based terror group, complaining that he had been denied a spot in the military.

Some officers were seen talking to him in an attempt to calm him down, but he insisted he would join the terror group.

FURTHER ACTION

Lt-Col Paul Aruasa, the officer in charge at the centre, said the recruit had to be taken into custody after he was heard asking around for Al-Shabaab recruitment points.

“He was found asking for recruitment centres for Al-Shabaab so we took him in. Maybe he is just disgruntled but we would rather not take any chances because he could have actual intent to join the group,” said Lt-Col Aruasa.

The military boss said the young man would be questioned by the military and regular police over the threats before further action is taken against him.

In the forgery case, Dennis Kimotho, 23, well aware that his academic qualifications were below the minimum required, opted to alter his KCSE grades using a pen.

In a clearly unwise move, the young man tried to pass off the paper as a legitimate academic document, but the keen officers would not be fooled.

FRAUD

Lt-Col Aruasa said the man would not have made the cut anyway as the recruiters were only accepting original KCSE certificates.

“Actually, we are not accepting result slips, but this young man went ahead to forge it, which amounts to fraud,” he said.

When questioned about the document, Mr Kimotho disclosed that he had just arrived from Mombasa in the morning and decided to pop into the grounds and try his luck with the military. He was still carrying his luggage when he was arrested.

The two suspects were handed over to the police and were taken to the Mweiga Police Station for questioning.

Lt-Col Aruasa noted that the recruitment attracted a large turnout and only a few people were dismissed for lacking the required academic qualifications.

No women were recruited from the centre, with officials saying gender balance requirements compelled them to recruit only men.