NAIROBI, Kenya — A Kenyan court has convicted two men for aiding the 2019 terrorist attack on Nairobi’s DusitD2 hotel complex, an assault that left 21 people dead and dozens injured.
On Thursday, Judge Diana Kavedza found Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali and Mohamed Abdi Ali guilty of providing financial and logistical support to the attackers, who were affiliated with the Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab.
The court determined that the two men facilitated the procurement of fake identification documents and transferred funds used in planning and executing the attack.
The prosecution presented evidence that Mohamed Abdi Ali sent approximately 836,900 Kenyan shillings (about $6,200) to Ali Salim Gichunge, the attack’s mastermind, over several months leading up to the assault. Additionally, the court heard that the attackers stayed at Abdi Ali’s residence prior to the incident.
The January 15, 2019, attack involved a suicide bombing followed by a mass shooting at the upscale DusitD2 hotel and business complex in Nairobi’s Westlands district. All five attackers were killed during the security operation that ended the siege.
A third suspect, Mire Abdullahi, previously pleaded guilty to related charges and was sentenced earlier this year. The court has scheduled sentencing for Abdille Ali and Abdi Ali on June 19, pending a probation report.
The convictions mark a significant step in Kenya’s efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the country’s deadliest terrorist attacks, including the 2013 Westgate Mall shooting and the 2015 Garissa University massacre.
Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in Kenya, citing the country’s military involvement in Somalia since 2011 as a primary motive.
The court’s decision has been welcomed by Kenyan authorities and victims’ families, who view it as a measure of accountability and a deterrent against future acts of terrorism.
