Man sentenced to five years in prison for using fake terror attack alarm to punish wife

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said that Moses Kabali authored an email to Interpol on June 30, 2024, urging them to alert Kenya security agencies of an imminent terrorist attack by a known terrorist group.

Kabali is said to have further noted that he knew two individuals who worked with the terror group planning to conduct the alleged attack and submitted a woman's phone number, identifying her as one of the suspects.

DCI added that the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) launched a probe leading to the woman's arrest.

"Upon questioning, she disclosed that the said phone number had been registered using her ID card but was being used by her cousin," said DCI. 

Detectives then hunted down the said cousin who was apprehended in Eastleigh on August 31, 2024, but they were found to have no links to terrorist groups after interrogation.

After detectives failed to join the dots, Kabali was arrested on September 3, 2024, and a search of his residence led to the seizure of two mobile phones, two laptops, and various documents. 

The items were taken for forensic analysis which established that the email sent to Interpol was sent from his Yahoo mail account.

"It was further established that Kabali authored and sent the malicious email to the Interpol General Secretariat in France acting out of anger to punish his wife whom they had separated," added DCI.

Kabali was presented before Judge Gideon Kiage for sentencing to face charges under Section 26 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act No. 30 of 2012 and was sentenced to his jail term.