Photo source: The Star
Five suspected Mombasa Republican Council members, including a woman, were been arrested by police in Mombasa.
The five, Hassan Omar Gawawa, Dhado Idd, Hamisi Omar, Gawawa Bashora and Mwanajuma Bakari, were arrested at Magogoni in Kisauni while taking oath to joint the outlawed group in a house Saturday evening.
Police conducted a raid on the house at about 8 pm following a tip-off from members of the public.
The woman, Mwanajuma, is said to be a witch doctor who was administering the oath. Police say they suspect the oath-taking may be part of an ongoing recruitment drive in different parts of the Coast region.
Police also netted paraphernalia used for the oathing ceremony from the raid which will be used as exhibit in court.
Among the items was a hand -written note with instructions on the prayers or citations recited repeatedly by the recruits.
A police officer, who was involved in the Saturday night operation, said the five were in the process of drinking a brown liquid when they were ambushed.
“They were caught off guard,” said the officer, who was among 15 others in the operation. Late last year, KDF killed six MRC suspects who raided the 77 Batalion at Nyali Barracks. One KDF soldier was killed in the raid.
Kisauni CID boss Joseph Kioko said the five will be arraigned in court on Monday.
Meanwhile a contingent of police officers and Kenya Defence Forces personnel on Sunday mounted roadblocks along the Mombasa-Malindi highway .
“They were ordering all occupants of the vehicles out before conducting thorough searches. We did not know why the sudden searches or what they were looking for,” said Kahindi Kalume a motorist who was travelling to Lamu in a personal car.
According to Kalume, the security officers searched both all public service and personal vehicles.
-The-star.co.ke
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