Two men have been convicted over the deadly 2019 DusitD2 terror attack in Nairobi that claimed 21 lives and left dozens wounded in one of the worst assaults on Kenyan soil in recent memory.
Mohamed Abdi Ali and Hussein Abdille Mohamed were found guilty by Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kahawa Law Courts on two counts each: conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and facilitation of a terrorist act. Their sentencing has been scheduled for June 19, 2025.
Led by Senior Prosecution Counsel Duncan Ondimu, investigators detailed how Mohamed Abdi Ali, an informal forex trader based in Mandera, funneled over KES 558,000 to Ali Salim Gichunge, the lead attacker at DusitD2.
The funds helped finance reconnaissance operations and procure explosives used in the January 15, 2019, assault.
He also sent KES 130,700 to suspects tied to a foiled VBIED (Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device) plot in Merti, underlining his broader involvement in terror financing.
Despite his claim of being a family man with three wives and 20 children, evidence placed Mohamed at the heart of a transnational money transfer scheme aiding al-Shabaab operatives.
He operated a mobile forex exchange stand near the Kenya-Ethiopia border and admitted to wiring $3,000 from an anonymous Somali elder—a key transfer linked to known militants.
Hussein Abdille Mohamed, also arrested in Mandera, was found to have direct ties to Violet Kemunto, Gichunge’s wife, who fled to Somalia just before the attack. He received a parcel from Gichunge in 2018, forged documents for militants, and liaised with al-Shabaab contacts to support operatives entering Kenya.
He was also involved in efforts to support militants behind the Merti VBIED plot, including offering accommodation and logistical support.
The convictions, six years after the attack, represent a significant win for Kenya’s counterterrorism efforts. The prosecution hailed the outcome as a milestone in dismantling support networks that fuel terror operations.
