Driver in Cuban medics kidnap saga found guilty
A driver assigned to two Cuban doctors abducted in 2019 by suspected al Shabaab militants has been found guilty of the offence.
Issack Ibrein Robow was yesterday convicted of three counts of commission of a terrorist act, kidnapping hostage and aiding and abetting a terrorist act.
Nairobi Principal Magistrate Martha Nanzushi ruled that the action of a former driver who was an employee of Mandera County Government for 20 years was that of a person who knew about the kidnapping.
According to the magistrate, the shooting and kidnapping of the two Cuban doctors who were later released in 2020 after being held captive for over one year was planned in such a way that the driver would not be targeted for any harm.
“The circumstances in this case were that the two doctors were to be kidnapped, the officers who were armed were to be gotten rid of, luckily one managed to escape but the accused was to be left unharmed,” said the magistrate.
According to the magistrate, the shooting was all directed at the officer seated on the front passenger seat.
“It only suggests that they were well aware of the target’s position, otherwise the most random attack would have targeted the driver to immobilize the car before proceeding to get other victims because then they would not know the sitting arrangements of the occupants save for the driver,” ruled the Magistrate.
The Magistrate noted that the only reason one of the officers survived was possibly because his position on the back seat was not well known.
