Man Convicted of Al-Shabaab Links and Terror Offences Sentenced to 115 Years

A man convicted on multiple terrorism-related offences has been sentenced to a combined 115 years in prison after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) successfully prosecuted the case at the Kahawa Law Courts.

In a statement on Friday, August 7, the court found the prosecution had proved the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt following evidence presented during the trial.

The conviction stems from the arrest of Ibrahim Hussein Hassan in Nairobi's Eastleigh Section III in September 2022. 

Although the court imposed sentences totalling 115 years across seven terrorism-related counts, all the prison terms will run concurrently. 

In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered that Hassan undergo a deradicalisation programme while serving his prison term.

"The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has obtained a combined 115-year prison sentence against Ibrahim Hussein Hassan after he was convicted on seven terrorism-related offences," the statement read.

During the trial, the prosecution called 10 witnesses whose testimony convinced the court that the case had been proved beyond reasonable doubt. 

Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage sentenced Hassan to 20 years' imprisonment after finding him guilty of being a member of the outlawed terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

"At the Kahawa Law Courts, Hassan was further sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment on each of the three counts of collecting information connected with the commission of a terrorist act, contrary to Section 29 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012," the statement added.

The court also handed down sentences on the remaining charges relating to possession of materials linked to terrorism.

"On the remaining three counts of possession of articles connected with the commission of a terrorist act, the court imposed 15 years' imprisonment on each count," the statement further read.

According to the ODPP, the court relied on digital forensic evidence recovered during the investigation, which linked the convict to extremist material.

"The court found that a forensic examination of a Samsung mobile phone recovered from Hassan revealed three videos containing radical extremist terrorist propaganda capable of recruiting, training and radicalising young people," the statement noted.

Elsewhere, a former Deputy Director of Audit at the Office of the Auditor General has been charged over allegations that she used a forged university degree certificate to secure employment and rise through the ranks in the public service.

In a statement on Friday, August 7, EACC said Hannah Wambui Mwaura was arrested following investigations over the alleged use of fraudulent academic qualifications, with the commission claiming she unlawfully earned more than Ksh28 million in salaries during her tenure.

"The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested the suspect on 4 August 2026 and booked her at the Integrity Centre Police Station before releasing her on a police cash bail of Kes100,000 pending arraignment," the statement read.

According to EACC, investigations established that the Office of the Auditor General advertised the position of Assistant Manager – Audit in July 2013, requiring applicants to have at least eight years of audit experience, a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university, a Master of Business Administration or a related qualification, as well as professional accounting credentials.

The agency said its investigations found that Mwaura submitted a forged Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option), Second Class Honours (Upper Division) degree certificate, purportedly issued by Mount Kenya University on August 20, 2010, in support of her application. 

EACC alleged that the document enabled her to secure the position and later earn promotion to Deputy Director of Audit. 

It further claimed she received Ksh28,468,754.14 in salaries between February 3, 2013 and May 23, 2024 through the alleged fraudulent employment.

According to investigators, further inquiries established that when Mwaura presented the degree certificate during the recruitment process, she was still pursuing the Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) programme at Mount Kenya University and had not yet graduated.

The suspect was arraigned before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, where she pleaded not guilty to all the charges. 

The court released her on a cash bail of Ksh450,000 or a bond of Ksh1 million with a surety of a similar amount as the case proceeds.

"The Commission will institute civil proceedings to recover salaries and benefits unlawfully obtained through fraudulent academic qualifications," the statement concluded.