A 26-year-old man on Tuesday appeared before a Mombasa court to face three terrorism-related charges, including being a member of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group.
Bakari Omar Kingi appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. Gladys Olimo, faced with a charge of being a member of a terrorist group, contrary to Section 24 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012.
Hon. Olimo heard that on or before September 30, 2026, at Mtito Andei Jamia Mosque and Islamic Centre in Makueni County, Kingi, jointly with others not before the court, he was found to be a member of ISIS.
He is also faced with a second count of being in possession of articles connected with the commission of a terrorist act, contrary to Section 30 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012.
According to the charge sheet, Kingi allegedly possessed an Itel A60S mobile phone fitted with two Safaricom SIM cards. The phone allegedly contained audio files, images, and videos linked to extremist groups, including Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda.
Some of the audio files listed in the charge sheet included recordings titled Kimya Kimya, Cheche za Moto, Al Qaeda Masimba, Ndugu Kufuzu ni kwa Jihad, and Nairobi Tutafika.
The court heard that the materials were articles intended for use in instigating the commission of a terrorist act, contrary to the law.
Kingi also faced a third count of collection of information, contrary to Section 29 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012.
The particulars of the third count cited the same mobile phone and its alleged contents, including audio recordings, images, and video files.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Brenda Ogada opposed the accused’s release on bond, asking the court to order a pre-bail report to guide its decision on whether to grant him bail.
The court directed the Probation and Aftercare Service to prepare the report within 30 days.
The court fixed the pre-trial on 10 November 2026.
