Two men linked to the 2019 Dusit D2 terror attack in Nairobi have been sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Kahawa Anti-Terror Court.
Mohamed Abdi Ali, a 61-year-old madrassa teacher, was handed a 30-year jail term, 15 years for each of 14 counts of facilitating a terrorist act, which will run concurrently, and another 15 years for conspiracy to commit a terrorist offence.
His co-accused, 22-year-old Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali, was sentenced to 30 years, 15 years for conspiracy and another 15 for facilitating a terrorist act.
The two terms will run consecutively.
The two were found guilty of aiding the January 15, 2019 attack at the Dusit D2 Hotel Complex, which left 21 people dead and several others seriously injured.
While delivering the judgment on Thursday, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza said the prosecution had proved its case against the two beyond reasonable doubt.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had urged the court to issue the maximum sentence, citing the scale of suffering caused by the attack.
A victim impact report revealed that one survivor still has bullets lodged in his body, leading to ongoing medical complications and substantial medical bills that strain his financial resources.
In addition, American national Joseph Spindler, a father of Jason Spindler, narrated to the court how his son’s life was cut short in a terrorist attack by Al-Shabaab at the DusitD2 hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya.
The court also heard how the attack disrupted livelihoods, with occupancy at the once-busy Dusit D2 complex dropping from full capacity to just 55 percent and daily foot traffic falling from about 2,500 to only 200.
Justice Kavedza, in her judgement noted that Kenyans remember the fear, the pain, and the trauma, but importantly, the courage of the victims who lost their dear and loved ones, those who lost their jobs, their businesses and those that still bear the physical scars, and stated that this judgement spoke for the survivors who deserve closure.
“What followed was one of the most comprehensive counter terrorism investigations in Kenya’s history, as law enforcement agencies pursued not only the attackers’ immediate associates but also financiers, facilitators and logistical coordinators who enabled the attack.” The court ruled.
