Concerns have been raised by various players in the United Kingdom after reports emerged that Kenya is set to deport Jermain John Grant once his sentence elapses in July 2023.
In 2019, Grant was convicted and sentenced to a four-year jail term after being discovered in possession of bomb-making materials.
These materials were suspected to be intended for use in targeting tourist hotels in Kenya, with the alleged involvement of Samantha Lewthwaite, also known as White Widow, who is considered one of the world's most wanted terror suspects.
A report published by the Daily Mail noted that UK residents were concerned that Grant would pose a threat to the monarchy should he be deported.
“It raises the alarming prospect that a terror suspect who was a close associate of the world’s most wanted woman will be released back on the streets of Britain within days,” the report noted.
Grant was arrested in 2012 in a flat that he shared with Lewthwaite, infamously known as the White Widow.
Lewthwaite’s husband was one of four suicide bombers who killed 52 people in London in 2005. The White Widow herself was linked to a terrorist attack at West Gate Mall where 70 people lost their lives.
The Kenyan Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) on Saturday, July 15, requested the High Court to issue orders for Grant’s immediate repatriation once he completes his jail term at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.
Why the UK is worried
Grant is a United Kingdom citizen having been born in Newham, East London. This means that the State is obliged to deport him to his country of origin in line with Kenyan immigration laws.
Despite being associated with terror activities in the UK, Daily Mail notes he is likely to walk away as a free man.
Apart from the 2005 suicide bombing in London. UK residents observe that previous attacks staged by the terror suspect have claimed the lives of Britons. For instance, the West Gate Mall Attack where 5 UK citizens lost their lives.
“The deportation raises questions about whether he will face any monitoring in Britain, where Grant has not been charged with any terror offence,” the report notes.
What will happen after deportation?
According to the UK Daily, security authorities in the UK could institute a terrorism prevention and investigation measure (TPIM). This is a measure that allows the government to monitor people considered terrorists without making an arrest.
“Suspects face measures such as wearing an electronic tag, a ban on internet use, and limits on who they can meet and where they can go,” it was explained.
