Kenyan Man Charged in Tanzania with Being a Member of Terror Group ISIL

A Kenyan man was arraigned before a Tanzanian court, where he was charged with being a member of an international terrorist group.

Shida Msanzu is accused of collecting information in a bid to conduct a terrorist act and being in possession of items connected to the commission of a terrorist act.

It was alleged that the Kenyan professed a munasireen in 2022, meaning that he is a member and a fighter of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The information is contained on his Facebook account.

The court heard that Msanzu was arrested on April 3rd, 2023 in Bukoba, Tanzania with a mobile phone containing extremist videos.

Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa, the accused pleaded not guilty to all three charges leveled against him.

Msanzu, 28, was arrested by Tanzanian authorities while trying to cross over to neighboring Uganda, where it is believed he wanted to join the Islamic State in Central African Province (ISCAP) in Congo.

Police believe he crossed over to Tanzania from Kenya on December 29th, 2022, and stayed in the country planning his move until he was arrested. He is also believed to have been in constant contact with other militants from Somalia Mozambique and DRC.

Msanzu was in 2022 charged in Kenya with four counts of radicalization, possession of articles connected to the commission of terrorist acts, collection of information for Al-Shabaab, and being a member of a terror group.

He denied all four charges before Malindi law courts and was freed on December 16th, 2022, for lack of enough evidence.

Police also say that Msanzu can manufacture IEDs/homemade explosives, and suicide vests as well as handle weapons.