Written by Kelly Were
NAIROBI, KENYA — The United States government is offering a reward of up to $10 million (Ksh1.34 billion) for information leading to the location of Abdullahi Banati, a senior al-Shabaab operative accused of playing a central role in the 2020 terror attack on Manda Bay in Lamu County.
Banati is believed to have been instrumental in the operational planning of the January 5, 2020, pre-dawn raid that targeted Camp Simba, a military installation within the Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Manda Bay, jointly operated by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the United States military. The brazen attack claimed the lives of three American personnel and injured one Kenyan soldier.
Announcing the bounty through its Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, the US State Department urged anyone with credible information on Banati’s whereabouts to submit tips confidentially. “Informants may also be eligible for relocation in addition to the monetary reward,” the statement read.
The Manda Bay airfield, part of a key counterterrorism hub in East Africa, hosts U.S. forces deployed to train regional allies, respond to regional crises, and support broader anti-terrorism objectives.
A Pentagon review released in 2022 confirmed the scale and sophistication of the assault. According to the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Army Regulation 15-6 investigation and a parallel independent review directed by the Secretary of Defense, the attackers—a disciplined, well-equipped al-Shabaab force of 30 to 40 militants—inflicted over $90 million in damage.
The reviews found no single act or omission responsible for the attack, noting instead systemic vulnerabilities. “The proximate cause of the loss of life and property damage was the attack by a massed force of determined and well-resourced fighters,” the US Department of Defense stated.
Among the assets destroyed in the attack were six American aircraft in the opening minutes, while an additional $10 million in damage was reported to vehicles, infrastructure, and equipment. Damage to Kenyan military assets was not quantified in the publicly released reports.
In a rare recognition of battlefield valor, AFRICOM awarded three Kenya Defence Forces personnel with the Joint Service Commendation Medal for their actions during the siege, which helped mitigate further loss of life.
The attack exposed severe vulnerabilities in base security. In its aftermath, the Pentagon directed a continent-wide overhaul of protection measures, including tighter intelligence coordination, improved mission command, and bolstered security force readiness.
Responsibility for base security at Manda Bay has since been delegated to the US Air Forces-Africa, with a renewed emphasis on the integration of support operations and safeguarding critical personnel and assets.
The manhunt for Banati is expected to intensify amid fears of future coordinated strikes by al-Shabaab against regional and Western interests. US officials say the bounty underscores Washington’s commitment to justice for fallen personnel and its enduring resolve to dismantle extremist networks in East Africa.
