A 32-year-old man from Kirinyaga county was on Tuesday handed a 10-year jail term by a Mandera court for travelling to Somalia unlawfully.
Senior Resident Magistrate Peter Areri found Simon Karuga Gitau guilty of travelling to a terrorist-designated country without having gone through any required immigration point.
He was arrested by locals eight kilometres into Somalia on September 13, 2016 and they immediately handed him over to the Somalia police who later handed him over to their Kenyan counterparts.
In his defence, Gitau however said he had come to Mandera in search of a masonry job but after finding accommodation expensive, he decided to seek a cheaper room where he could pay only Sh400 monthly.
“I went looking for a cheaper house and crossed into Somalia but after walking a long distance, villagers arrested me a handed me to police in Somalia,” Gitau said.
Magistrate Areri rejected the accused's defence, arguing that seeking cheaper accommodation could not take someone to Somalia.
“I find his allegations that he went to Somalia to look for a cheaper house to rent not acceptable and I reject the same,” said Mr Areri as he made the ruling.
He added that Gitau’s movement from Mwea since August 31, 2016 up to the date of his arrest in Somalia was a clear indication that was going to join Al-Shabaab.
Kenya has categorised Somalia as a terrorist-designated country and barred her citizens from visiting the country without valid permission from government authorities.