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Kenyan police probe Ugandan terror suspect

Xinhua, March 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenyan police are on Friday interrogating a Ugandan terror suspect who was arrested in Namanga border town.

Area CID commander Ngatia Iregi said the suspect Baluku Swaleh was arrested along the Kenya-Tanzania border while heading to neighbouring Tanzania from Nairobi.

"The suspect has confessed to be an Al-Shabaab member. We also recovered flag, photos which contains information on how Al-Shabaab fighters have been killing people in Somalia and other paraphernalia from the suspect," Ngati said on Friday.

He said the suspect would be arraigned in court next week once investigations on his final destination and motive are completed.

The arrest came as Kenya is on a high security alert as the authorities cautioned members of the public to remain extra vigilant during the Easter holidays.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett has issued a security alert, warning that Al-Shabaab militants were planning possible retaliatory attacks in Kenya. Boinnet has warned terrorists may stage attacks in the country during the long weekend.

"The police would like to remind Kenyans to exercise greater vigilance and to continue cooperating with the police as they have been doing," he said in a statement.

"We urge the members of public to be vigilant and exercise extra alertness around religious establishments, social joints, bus/railway/port stations or any public place patronized in big numbers," he added.

Boinnet said security officers have increased surveillance as well as conducting operations in various parts of the country such as Lamu, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera in northern Kenya to ensure the country is safe.

"Officers manning critical national infrastructure around the country are under strict instruction to increase their alertness and security of the premises. In addition, officers in frontier stations are under instruction to be extra vigilant about the visitors coming into the country," Boinett said.

Kenya is currently engaged in the fight against the militia group in southern Somalia where its soldiers under the Africa Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM) have intensified fight against the insurgents, killing over 50 militants in the past week.

The East African nation faces insecurity as bomb attacks using improvised explosive devices and grenades have become more frequent in the capital Nairobi, the coastal city of Mombasa and northeastern region since KDF entered Somalia in 2011 to secure the shared border with the lawless country. Endit