A court in Nairobi has found two people guilty of aiding a terrorist attack at the Dusit D2 Hotel Complex in Nairobi, which claimed the lives of 21 people and left several others with serious injuries.
Lady Justice Diana Kavedza on Thursday, May 22, found the duo guilty after the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the two individuals committed the offence.
In the ruling, the judge found the two guilty of conspiring to commit a terrorist act against Section 9A of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which led to the death of several Kenyans.
During the hearing of the case, the court found that one of the suspects facilitated the attack by transferring Ksh836,900 through mobile money to an accomplice who was also a member of the Al Shabaab militia.
In its presentation, the prosecution told the court that the transactions occurred between October 14, 2018, and January 12, 2019, in the Soko Mbuzi area of Mandera County.
The prosecution went on to present a total of 45 witnesses, whose testimonies were pivotal in securing the convictions. When the case began, the suspects were three; however, one was earlier convicted after pleading guilty.
"I find the accused guilty and accordingly I convict them," Lady Justice Diana ruled, adding that the two individuals would be sentenced next month.
Addressing the courtroom after the judgment, the prosecution requested the court to impose the maximum penalty, with sentences to run consecutively rather than concurrently.
The court ordered the preparation of a probation report within 21 days, to be submitted by June 17, 2025. The court also revoked the bond for the second accused, who was remanded at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.
The incident, which took place in 2019, involved Al Shabaab militia who shot their way into the luxurious hotel and office complex, killing 21 people on the spot and sieging the premises for over 12 hours.
The coordinated attack began in the afternoon, leading to a standoff that continued through the night, with people trapped in various parts of the buildings for the entire night.
CCTV footage obtained by detectives showed three armed men, dressed in dark clothing, entering the hotel with their faces uncovered. Minutes later, gunshots were heard, with one of the men captured on camera spraying bullets at the victims.
