2019 Kenya hotel attack: 2 sentenced to 30 years

A Kenyan court has sentenced two men to 30 years in prison for supporting al-Shabaab fighters behind a deadly attack on the DusitD2 complex in Nairobi that killed 21 people in 2019. The two men were convicted of aiding, abetting, and conspiring to commit a terrorist act. Specifically, the two men were convicted of aiding and abetting two of the attackers’ escape from a refugee camp by providing false identity documents and financial assistance to the group. Both men have denied the charges. The attack on the DusitD2 complex in the Kenyan capital began on 15 January 2019, when gunmen stormed the complex and opened fire. Security forces initiated an operation that lasted over 12 hours, after which the Kenyan government announced that all the attackers had been eliminated. Al-Shabaab, an armed group linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. This Somali-based group has previously launched attacks in Kenya to force the withdrawal of Kenyan troops from Somalia. The troops are currently engaged in a regional mission to combat the Somali insurgency.