wo Men Jailed for 30 Years Over Role in 2019 DusitD2 Terror Attack
A Kenyan court has sentenced two men to 30 years in prison for aiding the al-Shabab militants behind the deadly 2019 assault on Nairobi’s DusitD2 complex, an attack that claimed 21 lives and left lasting trauma among survivors. The ruling, delivered on Thursday by High Court Judge Diana Kavedza Mochache, marks one of the most significant convictions related to the high-profile terror incident.
According to the judgment, Hussein Mohammed Abdile and Mohamed Abdi Ali played a crucial facilitative role by helping two of the attackers flee a refugee camp using forged identification documents. The court also found that the pair provided financial support to the terror cell that carried out the coordinated assault. Judge Mochache emphasized that facilitators are integral to the execution of terror plots, noting that extremists cannot actualise their activities without financiers, facilitators, and sympathisers.
While the two convicts were not physically present during the 12-hour siege on January 15, 2019, the court ruled that their assistance directly empowered the attackers, who stormed the upscale complex armed with guns, grenades, and suicide vests. During sentencing, the judge referenced emotional testimonies from survivors, many of whom still grapple with trauma years after the assault, underscoring that the emotional scars of the attack run deep.
Abdile and Ali were convicted in May for conspiring to commit and facilitating a terrorist act. Both men maintain their innocence and have been given 14 days to file an appeal. Their sentencing comes amid ongoing concerns about radicalization networks and support systems that enable al-Shabab operations across the region.
The DusitD2 attack, claimed by al-Shabab, unfolded when gunmen detonated explosives and opened fire inside the complex, sparking a massive security operation that stretched through the night. It was the deadliest attack in Nairobi since the 2013 Westgate Mall siege and occurred four years after the devastating 2015 Garissa University massacre.
Al-Shabab said the assault was retaliation for U.S. foreign policy decisions under President Donald Trump, specifically the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In the years since, Nairobi has tightened security around high-end establishments, enforcing strict vehicle checks and surveillance measures in an effort to deter similar attacks.