SUSPECT CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF ROCKET LAUNCHER

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 000059 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2026 TAGS: PINS PTER PARM KVPR KE SO SUBJECT: SUSPECT CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF ROCKET LAUNCHER Classified By: PolCouns Michael J. Fitzpatrick, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Despite racy press headlines accusing him of al-Qaida ties, Embassy has as yet found no connections between al-Qaida and a Somali arrested in Kenya December 14, and charged December 28 in court, for possession of a rocket launcher and four projectile grenades. Kenyan and mission investigations nonetheless continue. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Kenyan media reported Mohammed Yusuf Hussein was arrested December 14, 2005, for possessing a rocket-propelled grenade launcher (RPG) and four rocket-propelled grenades in Wajir District, just east of Kenya's border with Somalia. (NOTE: The original December 16 article named the suspect as Mohamoud Yussuf Ogle, but later articles corrected this and provided the above, correct name. END NOTE). Original reports jumped to link Hussein with al-Qaida or other terrorist elements and speculated he was on his way to Mombasa to carry out a terrorist attack. The media also reported Hussein was charged in a Nairobi court December 28 with &possession of stealthy explosives and a rocket missile launcher8. ¶3. (C) RSO spoke with Chief Commandant of the Anti Terrorism Police Unit Nicholas Kamwende January 3 to discuss the case. Kamwende said Hussein, born in 1973, is originally from Somalia and had fled to Kenya after he was suspected of theft in Somalia. He settled in the village Biyamathon in Wajir District, where he hid a cache of weapons, including the rocket launcher. (NOTE: It is not clear how long he has resided in this village. END NOTE). Villagers were suspicious of his activities and tipped off the Administrative Police (AP),who then arrested him. The AP say they did not find any ammunition, although press reports claim there were rocket-propelled grenades with the RPG. Kamwende said Hussein,s intentions remain uncertain, but he does not believe there is a terrorist connection. The ATPU thinks Hussein was more likely hoping to sell the weapons than to participate in any actual terrorist activity. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Although no evident terrorist connection has arisen in this case, the fact that Hussein was caught with a RPG, vice the more common cattle-rustling weapons such as AK-47s, is a concern. Embassy elements remain in close cooperation with their Kenyan counterparts on this investigation and will report any further developments. END COMMENT. BELLAMY