Two men linked to the January 15, 2019, terrorist attack at the Dusit D2 Hotel Complex in Nairobi, which claimed the lives of 21 people and left several others with life-threatening injuries, have been convicted.
In a statement, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said the accused were convicted after Lady Justice Diana Kavedza found that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt against Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali and Mohamed Abdi Ali.
“Delivering the judgment today at the Kahawa Law Courts, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza found that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt against Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali and Mohamed Abdi Ali on all charges except count two, for which both were acquitted,” ODPP stated.
The two were found guilty of conspiring to commit a terrorist act that resulted in the deaths at the Dusit D2 Complex.
Additionally, Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali was convicted of facilitating a terrorist act, in violation of Section 9A of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Mohamed Abdi Ali faced further convictions on 14 additional counts. The court found that he had facilitated the attack by transferring a total of Ksh. 836,900 via M-Pesa to Ali Salim Gichunge, also known as Farouk or Erick Kinyanjui Munyi — the deceased attacker and a member of the Al Shabaab terrorist group.
The transactions occurred between October 14, 2018, and January 12, 2019, in the Soko Mbuzi area of Mandera County.
During the trial, the prosecution presented a total of 45 witnesses whose testimonies were pivotal in securing the convictions.
The first accused, Mire Abdulahi, had previously entered a plea bargain with the prosecution and was duly convicted and sentenced.
The prosecution has requested the imposition of the maximum penalty, with sentences to run consecutively rather than concurrently, and called for the cancellation of bond for the second accused.
The court ordered the preparation of a probation report within 21 days, to be submitted by June 17, 2025.
Furthermore, the bond for the second accused was revoked, and he was remanded to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison. The matter is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on June 19, 2025.
