Grenade man sentenced to life in prison

Elgiva Bwire who confessed to being an Al-Shabaab member and pleaded guilty to carrying out a Nairobi grenade attack was sentenced to life imprisonment October 28, 2011. PHOEBE OKALL

A man who confessed to being an Al-Shabaab member and pleaded guilty to carrying out a Nairobi grenade attack was sentenced to life imprisonment Friday.

Mr Elgiva Bwire Oliacha was also handed a 15-year life sentence for Al-Shabaab membership and another seven for being in possession of firearms illegally. The two counts, however, are in abeyance.

The 28-year-old was arraigned in court Wednesday in connection with an arms cache found in a house in Nairobi’s Kayole Estate and confessed to being a member Al-Shabaab.

“Yes, it is true,” Mr Oliacha, alias Mohammed Seif, responded to the charge of being a member of the terror group.

He also admitted to illegal possession of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, a submachine gun, two revolvers, 13 live hand grenades and 770 assorted rounds of ammunition.

Mr Oliacha, who appeared before Nairobi chief magistrate Gilbert Mutembei, also pleaded guilty to causing grievous harm to Mr Justus Mulwa and Mr Patrick Kinyingi.

The two were injured in a grenade attack on Race Course Road, Nairobi, on Monday.

Mr Oliacha was accused of engaging in organised criminal activity by being a member of the outlawed group on October 25 in Nairobi County.

He was allegedly found in unlawful possession of 13 live hand grenades at Kwa James Building in Kayole Phase I Estate.

He also unlawfully possessed 770 assorted ammunition without a firearms certificate, according to the charges.

On the same day, police claim that Mr Oliacha was found in possession of a sub-machine gun, whose serial number had been erased.

His sentencing came on the day two Kenyan men denied being Al-Shabaab members.

Omar Muchiri Athuman alias Hussein and Stephen Macharia were remanded in custody until November 4 for police to complete investigations.