US Offers $10 Million Reward for Nairobi’s DusitD2 Terrorist Attack Mastermind

The US government has offered a reward of up to $10 million (about Sh1.2 billion) for information leading to the arrest of the main suspect behind the January 2019 terrorist attack on the DusitD2 complex in Westlands, Nairobi.

US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman announced the reward during a joint press address with Kenya’s Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin on Thursday.

Whitman said the US Department of State identified one of the main suspected terrorists in the attack as Mohamoud Abdi Aden, alias Mohamud Abdirahman.

Through its Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, the US put up the bounty on Abdi and any other individual who committed, attempted or conspired to commit, or aided or abetted in the commission of the attack.

At least 21 people, including one American national, were killed in the attack which the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab terrorist group claimed responsibility for.

“Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of the al-Qa’ida terrorist organization, released live updates throughout the attack and issued a press release in which it stated that the attack was in response to guidance from now deceased al-Qa’ida leader Ayman Zawahiri,” said Whitman.

“Mohamoud Abdi Aden, aka Mohamud Abdirahman, an al-Shabaab leader, was part of the cell that planned the Dusit2 Hotel attack. In October 2022, the Department of State designated Aden as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended.”

Whitman noted that Al-Shabaab is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Kenya, Somalia, and neighboring countries that have killed thousands of people, including US citizens. 

“The terrorist group continues to plot, plan, and conspire to commit terrorist acts against the United States, U.S. interests, and foreign partners,” she added.

The US, the ambassador said, designated Al-Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2018.