NAIROBI, Kenya – Two men linked to the 2019 Dusit D2 terrorist attack that claimed 21 lives have been convicted by the Kahawa Law Courts. The suspects, Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali and Mohamed Abdi Ali, were found guilty on all but one charge relating to terrorism, in a ruling delivered by Lady Justice Diana Kavedza.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) confirmed the conviction in a statement on Thursday, revealing that Hussein Mohamed Abdille was found guilty of facilitating a terrorist act by sending Ksh.836,900 via M-Pesa to one of the deceased attackers, Ali Salim Gichunge—also known by his aliases Farouk or Erick Kinyanjui Munyi—who was a known Al Shabaab operative.
According to court documents, the financial transactions were made between October 14, 2018, and January 12, 2019, in the Soko Mbuzi area of Mandera County.
The prosecution, which presented 45 witnesses during the proceedings, successfully argued that the funds were instrumental in enabling the planning and execution of the deadly attack on the Dusit D2 complex in Nairobi.
The ODPP has since requested that the court impose the maximum penalty, with sentences running consecutively rather than concurrently. The bond for the second accused, Mohamed Abdi Ali, was revoked during the session, and he was remanded to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.
The court also ordered the preparation of a probation report, due by June 17, 2025, ahead of the sentencing hearing set for June 19, 2025.
In a related development, a third suspect in the case, Mire Abdulahi, entered a plea bargain with the prosecution earlier in the year. He was convicted and sentenced following the agreement.
Lady Justice Kavedza, delivering a ruling in January, stated:
“Having considered the evidence of 55 witnesses, including expert testimonies, and the material presented before me, I am satisfied that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the two accused persons.”
She accordingly placed both Hussein Mohamed Abdille and Mohamed Abdi Ali on their defense.
The convictions mark a significant milestone in the fight against terrorism in Kenya and underline the continued efforts by law enforcement and the judiciary to bring perpetrators of terror to justice.
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