Tourist death convict to appeal

The man sentenced to death for kidnapping a British tourist will appeal.

Ali Kololo, 30, killed David Tebbut in 2011 at Lamu’s Kiwayu Island tourist beach resort.

On Monday, he was convicted on circumstantial evidence of two counts of robbery with violence and kidnapping.

Lamu senior principal magistrate Johnstone Munguti found that Kololo was involved in planning and executing the September 10 attack where Mrs Judith Tebbutt was kidnapped and taken to Somalia.
She was released when her son raised a Sh90 million ransom. David was killed in the attack.

“We are going to appeal. The death sentence is harsh. Ali is innocent. We believe that the ruling will be reversed,” said a brother who declined to be named.

Mr Munguti found Kololo criminally responsible for robbery with violence that caused the murder of David and kidnapping of his partially deaf wife Judith.

The court dismissed Kololo’s claims that he was kidnapped while on his way to report to the police his abduction by nine armed Somali poachers.

“I sentence you to death,” ruled the trial magistrate.

Kololo said he had left everything to God and he would abide by the decision of the court.

“I am a poor man and I have nothing to say. I will not be the first person to die. Many have died before. I am prepared to face death,” he said.