By Allan Kibet
The High Court of Kenya has reduced the time that two of the Garissa University attackers would have spent behind bars. The two terror suspects are now going to spend 25 years instead of 41 years in jail.
The High Court sitting in Nairobi made the ruling yesterday citing insufficient evidence to prove that Mohamed Abdi Abikar and Hassan Eddin Hassan were members of the outlawed Al Shabaab during the 2015 university attack.
Justice Cecilia Githua of Nairobi High Court termed the 2019 ruling as illegal. This came after the suspects made an appeal at the High Court.
Justice Githua however upheld the sentencing of Rashid Charles Mberesero, one among other suspects who was given life in prison for indicating that he wanted to join Al Shabaab and was placed at the scene of crime during the investigations.
“The (fifth) accused person had indicated he was going to join Al-Shabaab in Somalia and he was found at the scene of the crime. I sentence him to life imprisonment for committing a terrorist act,” said Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi in the 2019 ruling.
In April 2, 2015, gunmen stormed Garissa University in the wee hours, killing 148 students and injuring 79. The gunmen were mostly targeting Non-Muslims in the attck. The Islamist militant group, Al Shsabaab, took the responsibility of the attack.
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