Abdirizak Moktar Garad

Kenyan suspect in the Kasindi attack on the 8th CEPAC Protestant church.

A Kenyan national was arrested on Sunday, 15 January 2023, as part of an investigation following the improvised bomb attack on a church in Kasindi, a border town with Uganda in North Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which left at least 14 people dead.

Kenyan officials stated they had been informed that the Congolese authorities were holding 29-year-old Abdirizak Moktar Garad, a native of Wajir County.

The bomb attack took place on Sunday 15 January at the 8th CEPAC church in Kasindi-Lubiriha, near the border between the DRC and Uganda, during which at least 63 other people were injured.

Detectives from Nairobi's Anti-Terrorism Police Unit stated that they were cross-checking the suspect's details for more information.

They confirmed that they had been informed of the arrest.

Local FARDC spokesperson Anthony Mualushayi stated on Sunday that following an initial investigation at the scene of the tragedy, a Kenyan had been arrested for having links to the planning of the attack now associated with the ADF.

Factualité Afrique managed to identify Abdirizak Moktar Garad on wanted posters from Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations, where a substantial sum of money was offered to find this fugitive. Issued on 4 July 2022 and published on the social media pages of this Kenyan institution, the wanted poster offered a reward for any information leading to his arrest in connection with the theft of at least 11 million Kenyan shillings from a safe in Eastleigh.

"Detectives are looking for Abdirizack Moktar Garat (pictured) in connection with the disappearance of around 11 million shillings from a safe in the Salama Centre building in Eastleigh.

DCI is appealing to members of the public for any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect, who has since gone into hiding.

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact us via our toll-free number 0800722203. #FichuakwaDCI" noted the publication which you can find via this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GuLxR8AwK/

On 1 February 2023, FACTUALITÉ Afrique established his link with the attack against the 8th CEPAC church in Kasindi.

In a conversation with the Congolese army spokesperson in the region, Anthony Mualushayi indicated that the Kenyan suspect was being held by Congolese services, who were questioning him about his involvement in this attack.

"The Kenyan is an operations coordinator (editor's note = attack) while *MATHE Joel is the Kasindi bomb planter on the orders of AMIGO and ABWAKAS," he specified.

Additional photos obtained by FACTUALITÉ Afrique from the Facebook post of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations of Kenya.