Kenyan convicted for planning to blow up KICC

A Kenyan national, Victor Bwire, also known as Abdulaziz, has been convicted by a Milimani Court for conspiring to attack the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in 2019. 

According to court testimony, Bwire was found to have been giving security instructions to a terrorist in collaboration with accomplices in Somalia who are still at large.

The prosecution, led by Harrison Kiarie, presented 11 witnesses, including an FBI agent, to prove the case against Bwire. 

The judge, Hon. Bernard Ochoi, will sentence Bwire on February 8, 2023, after the filing of a Victim's Impact Assessment Report, Pre-sentence Report, and submissions by the parties.

"It has been noted that the accused admitted to being enrolled to gather intelligence reports on KICC's security arrangement. He was tasked with collecting parking areas' details and the building's environs ahead of a planned attack," Ochoi said.

Bwire has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and collection of information for the commission of a terrorist act. 

His accomplices in Somalia are currently being pursued by authorities.

Using social media to communicate with terrorists

The court was informed that while in Umoja Estate, Nairobi, Victor Bwire had collected information on KICC and shared it with his terrorist accomplices through his social media accounts.

The prosecution presented evidence that Bwire had set up three Facebook accounts and had communicated with the terrorist group's leader, Mohamed Yare Abdalla, to relay this information to his accomplices in Somalia.

Judge Bernard Ochoi was told that Bwire had been working as an agent for the terrorist group and receiving payments from them.

The prosecution also presented evidence that Bwire was planning to attack government buildings, specifically the Supreme Court of Kenya, KICC, and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), all located in Nairobi.

It was also revealed that Bwire had been recruited for this job by his cousin Engiva, who is currently serving a life sentence for terrorism at Kamiti Maximum Prison.