A Mandera court yesterday jailed a 32-year-old man for 10 years for travelling to Somalia unlawfully.
Simon Gitau from Mwea, Kirinyaga county, was found guilty of travelling to a terrorist-designated country without passing through a designated entry and exit point.
Gitau was arrested by locals on September 13, eight kilometres inside Somalia. They handed him over to Somalia police who transferred him to Kenyan police custody.
In his defence, Gitau said he left Mwea on August 31 and came to Mandera to search for a job as a mason.
He said he stayed in a lodging in the town for three days paying Sh200 per day and decided to look for a cheaper room of Sh400 monthly. “I went looking for a cheaper house and crossed into Somalia, but after walking a long distance, villagers arrested me,” Gitau said.
Senior resident magistrate Peter Areri rejected Gitau’s defence. He said Gitau’s movement from Mwea on August 31 up to when he was arrested in Somalia made it clear that he was travelling to join al Shabaab.
