Mandera
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A local assistant chief in Mandera County, Yussuf Maalim Issak, has been arrested and released on a free bond for allegedly facilitating the illegal acquisition of Kenyan identity cards for two Somali nationals suspected of involvement in terrorist activities.
The arrest, confirmed Thursday, February 20th by Mandera County Criminal Investigations Officer Pius Gitari, underscores potential vulnerabilities within the national identification system. Issak, the assistant chief of Bula Power, is accused of unlawfully aiding Isack Mohamed Abdi and Noor Yakub Ali, both Somali citizens, in obtaining Kenyan IDs. These individuals are suspected of plotting to abduct Chinese nationals working on a local sewerage project, with plans to transport them to El-Ade in Somalia.
According to the investigation, the suspects allegedly allocated Sh 100,000 for a local facilitator and Sh 300,000 for transporting the abductees across the border. The suspects are currently detained under orders from the Mandera Law Court, with the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) having been granted permission to hold them for fourteen days during the ongoing investigation.
Before recent policy changes initiated by President William Ruto, the vetting process for ID card applicants in border counties such as Mandera involved a committee composed of various officials, including the Assistant County Commissioner, an intelligence service representative, a member of the National Registration Bureau (NRB), the chief, and their assistant, as well as clan elders.
Mr. Issak's role as the assistant chief involved a crucial approval stage in the vetting process. Gitari explains that Issak's approval was considered pivotal, stating, "What a chief or assistant chief approves as the right candidate is always cleared by the committee. We arrested this assistant chief because he was the one who approved the vetting of these two terror suspects."
Evidence suggests that Mohamed entered Mandera from Somalia and successfully applied for an ID, with Issak's support in presenting him to the vetting committee. The ongoing investigation seeks to address systemic vulnerabilities that allow such breaches and to reinforce accountability within the framework responsible for issuing identification documents.