- A family spokesman said they were aware he had joined “bad people” in DRC.
- The weapon belonged to his friend and he is said to have stolen it and leased it to criminals, police said.
Image: THE STAR
A Kenyan detained in DRC over the bombing of a church that claimed 17 lives was wanted in Nairobi over a robbery case involving Sh11 million.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations had in July 2022 circulated his pictures, saying he was wanted over the disappearance of approximately Sh11 million from a safe in Eastleigh.
“DCI is appealing to the members of the public for any information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect who has since gone into hiding,” read part of a dispatch by DCI then.
A family spokesman said they were aware he had joined “bad people” in DRC.
The weapon belonged to his friend and he is said to have stolen it and leased it to criminals, police said.
He is said to have fled the country in July 2022 after the Eastleigh incident.
His friends said he had changed and was always expressing negative sentiments based on religion.
President William Ruto condemned the bomb attack on a church in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, January 14.
The attack on the 8th CEPAC Lubiriha Church in the eastern city of Kalindi left at least 17 people dead and about 39 others injured.
"Kenya condemns this heinous crime and commends the DRC forces for their swift action that led to the arrest of suspected terrorists," Ruto said.
He said the attack was a reminder of the ever-present terrorist threat.
He said it emphasised the need to strengthen the nations', individual and collective resolve to deal with the threat to international peace and security.
According to the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), the attack was perpetrated in retaliation for the losses these terrorists have suffered on several battlefields against the FARDC.
FARDC spokesperson Anthony Mualushayi said it was likely carried out by the Allied Democratic Force, a Ugandan group that has pledged allegiance to ISIL (ISIS).
Reports said that later on Sunday, the ISIL group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Detectives at the Anti-Terror Police Unit in Nairobi said they were in touch with their DRC counterparts over his arrest.
This is the latest such incident to link a Kenyan to the same.
In January 2022, another Kenyan was arrested in DRC following months of hunting by Congolese authorities.
Authorities had then claimed that a network of terrorists had been established in the DRC attracting certain people from across East Africa.
Officials said the Kenyan and several other suspects were said to have crossed into the DRC via Uganda.
The ADF began as an uprising in Uganda but has been based in the DRC since the late 1990s.
Survivors and witnesses said the blast severed some people’s limbs from their bodies.
Kasindi is in a province where Congolese and Ugandan forces have launched a campaign against the ADF.
Troops from Uganda’s army have deployed to eastern Congo to try to stem the violence, but the attacks have increased and spread.
ADF attacks since April have killed at least 370 civilians and involved the abduction of several hundred more, a report by the United Nations last month said.
The rebel group has extended its area of operations to Goma and into neighbouring Ituri province where Kenyan troops are.
More than 120 armed groups roam mineral-rich eastern DRC. Many are the legacy of regional wars that flared at the turn of the century.