Kenya sentences man to death for killing Muslim cleric

A Kenyan court on Friday sentenced to death a key suspect behind the killing of a Muslim cleric in the coastal city of Mombasa in 2014.

Mohammed Sudi, a madrassa teacher, was charged with the murder of Sheikh Mohamed Idris, chairman of Council of Immam and preachers of Kenya (CIPK).

Mombasa High Court Judge Martin Muya said prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

"From the evidence provided by the prosecution, it's clear that the accused was directly involved in the killing and therefore find the accused person guilty of the offence of murder," Muya ruled.

The court pointed out that the investigation officer proved that the ammunition produced in court as exhibits was used in the firearm recovered from the accused person.

Sudi was charged with the killing of Idris in Likoni, Mombasa, on June 10, 2014. The deceased was shot on his way to the mosque for morning prayers and later died in the hospital.

His body had two gunshots. Sudi faced separate charges of illegally having explosives, a gun and ammunition.

According to anti-terror police officers, Sudi was among the Al-Shabaab members behind the radicalization and recruitment of youth in Mombasa.

Police said he led Al-Shabaab members to evict moderate Muslim clerics from mosques whom the accused of being government sympathizers and informers.

Several moderate leaders and others were in the last two years injured by the radical youth who had returned from Somalia to carry out terrorist attacks.

On Thursday, Kenyan police issued an alert of possible terrorist attack in the coastal town of Malindi. The attackers are believed to be six Al-Shabaab suicide bombers believed to have sneaked in the country from Somalia. Enditem