MOMBASA: A court in Kenya has found a teacher at an Islamic school guilty of radicalising his students by teaching them extremism and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Magistrate Diana Mochache said on Thursday that Samwel Wanjala Wabwile, also known as Salim Mohammed, was found guilty of radicalising the Gotani primary school pupils.

Mochache says Wabwile, who also taught at a mosque in Gotani village in Kilifi county, had been hiding behind religion to promote extremism.

Kenya is battling recruitment of the country's youth by al-Qaida's East African affiliate, Somalia-based al-Shabab, and lately the Islamic State.

To prevent an escalation of Islamic radicalisation in Kenya, it is important that parents inform authorities if their children go missing or show tendencies of following violent extremism, Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njokahad had earlier said.

Kenyan youth make up the largest contingent of foreign fighters in al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab has carried out a wave of attacks in Kenya since it sent its troops to Somalia to fight the militants.