This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
On July 3, 2019, a Tanzanian national was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2015 terrorist attack on Garissa University that resulted in the loss of over 150 lives.
The attack occurred on April 2, 2015, and the sentencing was handed down by Magistrate Francis Andayi at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi.
Two Kenyans, Hassan Edin and Mohamed Abdi, were also found guilty and sentenced to 41 years each for their involvement in the attack.
During the sentencing hearing, Magistrate Andayi emphasized the devastating impact of the attack on the students and the public, stating, 'In this case many lives were lost and members of the public left in a panic. Having considered their mitigation there is no person in the world who does not know the devastating effects of terror activities.'
The court rejected the defense's argument that the three men did not know each other, with Magistrate Andayi stating, 'It is not necessary for them to know each other as they could have met through a third party.'
The Tanzanian national, Rashid Mberesero, was acquitted of the charge of being unlawfully present in the country, but the court expressed surprise that no official from the university testified to confirm whether he was a student.
Prosecutor Duncan Ondimu had called for the three men to be sentenced to life, citing the severity of the attack and the loss of life.
