Kenyan court orders deportation of jailed British terrorist when sentence ends

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – In a landmark ruling given on Wednesday, a Kenyan court ordered the deportation of British terrorist Jermaine John Grant back to the UK upon completion of his prison sentence.

Grant was arrested in 2011 for possessing bomb-making materials and later he was convicted and imprisoned in 2015, and he has been serving a nine-year sentence since then.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said in a statement, "The High Court in Mombasa has allowed the prosecution's application to have jailed British terrorist Jermaine John Grant deported upon completion of his sentence."

In the verdict, Justice Anne Ong'injo ordered that Grant be repatriated to his country of origin as per the provisions of the Citizenship and Immigration Act.

Public Prosecutors, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina and supported by Prosecution Counsel Ngiri Wangui, had formally requested the court that the defendant be deported upon completion of his nine-year prison sentence.

Grant, born in the UK, was apprehended by Kenyan authorities while attempting to cross into Somalia disguised as a Muslim woman wearing a Burka, an all-encompassing veil from head to toe.

Law enforcement officers discovered explosives at Grant's residence, prompting the arrest in 2011. At the time, the Kenyan Anti-Terror Police Unit revealed that Grant had planned to carry out attacks targeting locations in the coastal town of Mombasa.

Investigators have linked Grant to Samantha Lewthwaite, also known as the White Widow, who is suspected of orchestrating the devastating 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi.

Investigators linked Grant to Samantha Lewthwaite, also known as the White Widow, who was suspected of masterminding the deadly 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi.

The attack killed 67 innocent people and shocked the nation.

The deportation order is expected to be enforced shortly after his release, with UK authorities responsible for his subsequent custody and monitoring. However, his release date has yet to be determined.