Mohamed Abdi Ali and Hussein Abdille Ali, the convicts of Dusit D2 terror attack 2019. File
The Kahawa Anti-Terror Court has sentenced two men to 30 years in prison each for their role in facilitating the 2019 Dusit D2 terror attack that claimed 21 lives and left many others wounded at a high-end hotel and business complex in Nairobi.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza found Mohamed Abdi Ali, a 61-year-old madrassa teacher, and Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali, aged 22, guilty of aiding the January 15, 2019 attack carried out by Al-Shabaab militants.
Mohamed Abdi Ali was convicted on 14 counts of facilitating a terrorist act and one count of conspiracy to commit a terrorist offence. He was handed 15 years for each of the 14 counts, which will run concurrently, and an additional 15 years for the conspiracy charge—totalling 30 years.
His co-accused, Hussein Abdille Ali, was sentenced to 15 years for conspiracy and another 15 years for facilitating a terrorist act. His sentences will run consecutively, also amounting to 30 years behind bars.
Justice Kavedza ruled that the prosecution had presented overwhelming evidence that proved beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of the two men in the planning and facilitation of the deadly attack.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Duncan Ondimu, presented testimony from 45 witnesses to establish the accused persons’ links to the attackers.
The court proceedings included harrowing victim impact statements, highlighting the devastation caused by the attack. One emotional testimony came from Joseph Spindler, the father of American victim Jason Spindler, who was among those killed.
“Your Honor, I’m not here for revenge but for justice,” Spindler said. “Jason was a survivor, a doer, and a visionary. He deserved a future, not a grave marked by the shrapnel from a terrorist’s suicide vest.”
A report by the Probation and Aftercare Service also detailed the lasting trauma faced by survivors, including one individual who still has bullets lodged in his body, struggling with chronic health issues and rising medical expenses.
Justice Kavedza described the January 2019 attack as “devastating and traumatic,” noting its impact not only on the victims and their families but on the broader national psyche.
The ruling sends a strong message that Kenya’s justice system remains committed to holding accountable not only those who carry out terrorist attacks but also individuals who aid, abet, or facilitate such crimes.
The attack on the Dusit D2 Hotel Complex was one of the deadliest in recent Kenyan history, with heavily armed militants storming the upscale compound, killing 21 people including foreign nationals, and injuring many others before security forces neutralized the threat.