Kenyan anti-terrorism officers have arrested nine suspects, including a prominent Nairobi lawyer, in what is being described as one of the country’s most complex ISIS facilitation networks. The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) says the breakthrough follows months of intelligence-led surveillance, financial tracking, and coordinated operations across multiple counties.
The network was exposed after the arrest of about ten young recruits earlier this year. The recruits were allegedly preparing to leave Kenya through a route used by ISIS facilitators: from Kenya to Puntland in northern Somalia, before crossing the Gulf of Aden into Yemen. Security officials say the two regions serve as transit zones for recruits seeking to join ISIS affiliates under increased pressure in other conflict theatres.
“It operates like a conveyor belt,” a senior ATPU officer noted. “Kenya serves as a corridor. Once they reach Puntland, arrangements are made for movement into Yemen, where they link with established ISIS cells.”
Authorities say the Nairobi-based lawyer, known for defending terror suspects in court, gradually became entangled in the extremist network. Investigators allege that some of his legal fees originated from ISIS-linked financiers, and that he eventually began helping coordinate logistics, finances, and movement of recruits.
He is expected to face charges including terror financing, membership in a terrorist organisation, and participating in a criminal network.
According to ATPU, the suspects were linked through a complex web involving bank transfers, hotel bookings, cross-border travel documents, and cryptocurrency transactions. The network is said to have involved financial experts, advocates, hoteliers, tour operators, and boda boda riders.
Senior security officials call the operation a major tactical win in Kenya’s nearly two-decade fight against terrorism—one marked by devastating attacks such as the 1998 US Embassy bombing, the 2013 Westgate attack, and the 2019 DusitD2 siege.
“Our message is clear: Kenya will not be a soft route for terror logistics,” an ATPU official said.
The suspects remain in ATPU custody as investigators continue analysing digital devices, financial records, and communication logs.
