Police in Lamu are holding a man from Somalia over his suspected links with terror groups in his country.

The man is said to have crossed the closed Kenya-Somalia border on Wednesday.

Lamu deputy police boss Joseph Sigei said military officers arrested the suspect at the Ishakani border security checkpoint a few hours after he illegally entered the country.

He said the young Somali, claimed he had fled fierce fighting between the Transitional Federal Government forces and al-Shabaab militia. “We are not satisfied with his story. That is why we have instructed our officers to bring him to the district police headquarters for further questioning,” Mr Sigei told the Nation in his office Thursday.

But police said although they would prefer a charge of being illegally in the country, they would also quiz the man further to establish his connection with any extremist group in Somalia.

“We have officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, Criminal Investigation Department and National Social Intelligence Services who will carry out thorough investigations,” said Mr Sigei.

Police sources said interrogating the man will be a tall order because he does not speak either English or Kiswahili. They will require a Somali interpreter to help with the interrogation.

The incident comes at a time when security on the Kenya-Somalia border has been beefed up following increasing threats by al-Shabaab militants to attack Kenya.

Two weeks ago, senior police officers from North Eastern, Coast and Rift Valley provinces met in Garissa to review border security measures and resolved to beef up security on the Kenya-Somali border.

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