Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - Kenya

Country Overview:  Kenya remained a regional and global leader in counterterrorism cooperation, particularly in East Africa.  Security services responded to numerous terrorist incidents and disrupted al-Shabaab and ISIS attack planning, recruitment, and travel.  However, uneven coordination, resource constraints, insufficient training, and unclear command structures hindered Kenya’s counterterrorism effectiveness.  In 2024, courts convicted two al-Shabaab terrorists and sentenced them to 19 years in prison for a failed 2018 court attack.  A Nairobi court sentenced an ISIS-linked terrorist to 12 years in prison, and police arrested a suspect connected to a 2016 anthrax attack plot.  A Busia court sentenced a defendant to 30 years in prison for membership in al-Shabaab and ISIS.  Prosecutors concluded their case on the 2019 Dusit D2 hotel attack that killed 22 people, including one U.S. citizen, securing the second guilty plea from three defendants.

Kenya worked to prevent FTF transit, including Kenyans joining al-Shabaab or ISIS-East Africa and those returning from abroad.  Kenya cooperated on terrorism threats and contributed to Embassy Nairobi’s physical security.  Kenya chaired the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) in 2024.  In February, FATF placed Kenya on its gray list.  Kenya committed to work with FATF and ESAAMLG to strengthen its AML/CFT regime.  In April, ESAAMLG found that Kenya had improved its ability to implement targeted financial sanctions under UN Security Council resolutions on terrorism and terrorist financing.  The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) participated in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia and pledged to join AUSSOM in 2025.  KDF supported border security and counter-IED efforts alongside civilian law-enforcement units responsible for border protection.

2024 Terrorism Trends:  In 2024, Kenya confirmed 36 terrorism incidents, primarily al-Shabaab attacks, as the group maintained elevated operations along the border.  On March 23, al-Shabaab attacked a village in Lamu County; Kenyan National Police Reservists (NPR) responded and exchanged fire, resulting in two NPR deaths.  On March 25, suspected al-Shabaab militants detonated an IED at a food stall in Mandera town near a police station, killing three police officers and one civilian—the first al-Shabaab attack in Mandera town since December 2018.

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