Kenya police have finally revealed the identity of the Dusit D2 Hotel suicide bomber as Mahir Khalid Riziki.
Riziki, 25, was born and brought up in Majengo area of Mombasa before relocating to Somalia to train with Al-Shabaab militants.
Police further disclosed that the bomber was recruited by Ramadhan Hamisi Kufungwa to join the militia group while attending prayers at Musa Mosque in Mombasa.
In October 2014, Riziki was reportedly among a group of militants led by Ismael Mohamed Shosi who stormed Royal Court Hotel and killed a police officer.
After the attack, Riziki then flew to Tanzania to hide from security teams that had launched a hunt for him.
He then moved to Somalia where he continued training with Al-Shabaab confirming to his family that he had relocated to the horn of Africa.
He, allegedly, regularly contacted his wife, Suhaila Mwalim Bakari, in November and December 2018 who stayed mum about their conversation.
On January 13, 2019, Riziki reportedly sneaked into the country through Elwak in Mandera County, proceeded to Takaba where he boarded a Moyale Raha bus to Nairobi in preparation for the Dusit D2 Hotel attack.
He then arrived at Dusit D2 Hotel early, while in communication with his colleague Ali Salim Gichunge, but a time disconnect among the militants may have led to a good number of survivors to escape.
The original plan was for him to explode which would the signal four other attackers to storm in and kill those who were scampering for safety.
“Thankfully, there was a timing disconnect between then suicide bomber and the foot attackers which gave room for a good number of people to escape,” a source told the Standard.
