A 24-year old car hire service operator convicted of being a member of terror group al Shabaab has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for supporting terror activities and groups.
Abdirazak Muktar was further sentenced on Friday to 10 years in prison for each of six other related offences, for which he was found guilty.
The punishments given by senior principal magistrate Joyce Gandani will run concurrently.
Gandani said the prosecution proved its case against Muktar, who was arrested on June 2014 at Masai Mara Game Reserve.
The ODPP said he had been in constant communication with a member of al Shabaab identified as Sheikh Hassan alias Blacky.
Hassan was gunned down by police on May 31, 2014 at a road block in Mandera. He and an accomplice who escaped were allegedly preparing to carry out a terror attack.
"It is clear Sheikh was not in possession of grenades for innocent reasons but was heading to carry out a terrorist act," Gandani said in her ruling.
Police found eight hand grenades in the Probox vehicle, registration number KBP 274U, said to belong to Muktar.
The charge sheet also stated that on June 2, 2014, Muktar was found with a mobile phone that had articles on instigating terror attacks.
Gandani said he was also found with pictures and videos of slain terrorist Osama bin Laden and Samantha Lewthwaithe.
Muktar was also charged with sending invitations using his cell phone, for a 'radicalisation meeting' at Masjid Musa on February 2, “to further the cause of a terror group.”
He
denied being a member of the al Qaeda-linked terror group.