Court approves case against 4 in Garissa attack, clears one

Four people charged over the April 2, 2015 Al-Shabaab attack at Garissa University College have a case to answer, a court ruled on Tuesday.

The four are Rashid Mberesero, Sahal Diriy Hussein, Hassan Edin Hassan and Muhamed Abdi Abikar.

Milimani Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi acquitted acquitted Osman Abdi Dagane, who was a watchman at the institution, saying there was no evidence linking him to the attack.

CHARGES

The five went on trial in January 2016with 22 witnesses testifying.

They denied a total of 156 counts over the morning attack that left 148 people, mostly students, dead.

The charges include committing a terrorist act, conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and being members of a terrorist group.

Mr Mberesero, a Tanzanian, faces a further charge of being in Kenya illegally.

Their next appearance is on February 13.

Earlier this month, Mr Andayi ruled that three suspects have a case to answer for their alleged involvement in an attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi in 2013 in which 67 people died.

One man was acquitted and the the trial will continue on March 21.

THE AMBUSH

The terrorists killed 147 people, mostly students, and injured at least 79 during the dawn attack at Garissa University.

It was the nation's deadliest attack since the 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi.

The attackers detonated suicide vests injuring some of the security forces. Of the 815 students in the college, 500 were rescued, according to the government.

Four gunmen involved in the massacre were killed. One suspect, described as a terrorist by the government, was reportedly arrested while leaving the college.

AMISOM

The militants have sustained their assault on Kenya and continued to recruit fighter saying it is retribution for the presence of soldiers of the Kenya Defence Forces in Somalia.

Kenya is among several countries that have contributed troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia, that is aimed at restoring peace and stability.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said several times that the troops, deployed in 2011, will leave only after these goals are achieved.

ATTACKS

Two weeks ago Kenya was hit again when Al-Shabaab gunmen targeted the dusitD2 hotel and office complex in the capital, killing 21 people.

Just days after, gunmen were foiled trying to strike a Chinese construction site in Garissa, and on Saturday two people were lightly injured in a mysterious explosion in central Nairobi, further setting the country on edge.

This prompted the national police to put out a statement urging the public, transport operators, malls, hotels, places of worship and education, to "step up their level of alertness".