Three Arrested for Taking Photos of 5-Star Nairobi Hotel that Vila Rosa Kempinski

A Nairobi court on Wednesday allowed police to detain for five days three men who were arrested for allegedly taking photos of a popular Nairobi five-star hotel.

The three; Abdi Mohammed Guled, Ibrahim Mohammed Guled, and Mohammed Bashi Aden are accused of taking pictures of Villa Rosa Kempiski Hotel for five days.
 
The prosecution said the three suspects were being investigated for conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and being members of a terrorist organization.

The suspects were apprehended on August 11th, 2019 at Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi’s Westlands area by Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) officers.

They were arrested with several items including Kenyan ID cards, mobile phones and electronic gadgets, which were taken to ATPU laboratories for forensic analysis.

ATPU’s Sergeant Joseph Mwiti told the court that the suspects were arrested on suspicion of carrying out surveillance at the luxury hotel for purposes of carrying out a terrorist attack.

“That the respondents were covertly taking photographs at the Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel and when questioned on the same they did not give an explanation as to why they were taking photographs of the hotel,” said Mwiti in an affidavit.

He also said investigators were seeking details of all the individuals the suspects have been communicating with both in Kenya and abroad as well as their digital prints trail and social media accounts for forensic analysis.

 “There is a need to carry out detailed interviews with the respondents and their associates once arrested with a view of finding out their co-conspirators,” added Mwiti.

Villa Rosa Kempiski is one of the most famous high-end hotels in Nairobi and hosted former United President Barrack Obama when he visited Kenya in 2015.