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Hiiraan Online Today from Hiiraan Online: Somali Music advertisements Kenyan software engineer charged with recruiting Al-Shabaab fighters FacebookFacebook messengerTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInTelegramEmail Tuesday October 28, 2025 FILE — Inmates stand outside their cells at Shimo la Tewa Prison in Mombasa, Kenya. The facility, one of Kenya’s most overcrowded maximum-security prisons, currently houses software engineer Alwi Mohamed Shariff, who has been charged with recruiting and financing fighters for the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab. Shariff has been ordered to remain in custody at Shimo la Tewa until a court hearing set for Nov. 10. (Photo by Wendy Stone/Corbis via Getty Images)MOMBASA, Kenya (HOL) — A Kenyan software engineer has been charged in a Mombasa court with recruiting and financing fighters for the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, a case prosecutors describe as a threat to national security. Alwi Mohamed Shariff appeared before Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi on Monday, accused of sending funds and coordinating the movement of suspected recruits from Kenya’s coastal region into Somalia. According to the charge sheet, Shariff allegedly transferred 6,922 Kenyan shillings ($46) on June 25 to Athurman Ahmed Ali to facilitate his travel from Lamu to Somalia through Moyale, where he was expected to join Al-Shabaab. Prosecutors said the funds were sent via Shariff’s registered mobile number 0111437457 to Ali’s line 0759666612. State prosecutor Antony Musyoka told the court that the case is complex and ongoing, involving several lines of investigation. He opposed bail, saying Shariff could abscond or interfere with witnesses if released. “The accused, being a suspected member of Al-Shabaab, poses a threat to the national security of the country as nobody knows his objective,” Musyoka said. “If released, he may not attend court proceedings or may interfere with the investigation.” Shariff’s lawyer, Yahya Muminni, argued that his client had been held for 44 days without sufficient cause and should be granted bail. He maintained that there was no evidence linking Shariff to the militant group. The magistrate ordered the suspect to remain at Shimo la Tewa Prison until November 10, pending a probation report assessing whether he can be trusted to appear for trial. Shariff denied all charges, insisting he was innocent. Al-Shabaab, which has carried out multiple attacks in Kenya in recent years, has often targeted youth in coastal and northeastern regions for recruitment into its ranks across the Somali border. Opinion| Privacy Policy|Sports|Somali Music|Somali Map All Rights Reserved Copyright. © 1999-2025, www.hiiraan.com
