The United States government has announced a reward of up to $10 million (approximately Ksh1.29 billion) for information leading to the capture of Abdullahi Banati, a long-wanted terror suspect linked to multiple deadly attacks in Kenya.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program confirmed Banati’s involvement in the January 5, 2020 terrorist attack on Manda Bay Airfield in Lamu County. The assault, orchestrated by Jaysh Ayman, a unit within Al-Shabaab, claimed the lives of a US soldier and two American contractors. Three other US personnel were injured.
“Banati was one of the individuals involved in the operational planning of the Manda Bay attack,” the statement read. It further emphasized Al-Shabaab’s role as Al-Qaeda’s main affiliate in East Africa, responsible for numerous deadly attacks across Kenya, Somalia, and neighboring countries.
In a pre-dawn raid that shocked the region, Al-Shabaab militants stormed the Manda Bay airstrip, a base used jointly by the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) and US troops. The site plays a crucial role in training regional security forces, counterterrorism operations, and safeguarding American interests in East Africa. Shortly after the attack, Al-Shabaab released a propaganda video claiming responsibility.
The bounty on Banati makes him the second individual the RFJ program has targeted in relation to the Manda Bay incident. In 2023, the US also offered a similar reward for Maalim Ayman, the leader of Jaysh Ayman, who is believed to have orchestrated the 2020 attack. The US designated Ayman as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224 in 2020.
Banati’s Shadowy Trail Across Kenya’s Darkest Moments
Banati is not a new name to Kenya’s security agencies. For nearly a decade, police have pursued him for his alleged involvement in the country’s most devastating terror attacks.
Authorities say Banati joined Al-Shabaab in 2012 and has since risen through its ranks as a key regional operative. He is believed to have played a logistical role in the 2019 Dusit D2 complex attack, transporting attackers from Somalia to Nairobi, where 21 people were killed.
His name also appeared in the aftermath of the 2013 Westgate Mall attack, where 67 people were killed, and again during the 2015 Garissa University College massacre, where 148 students lost their lives. Police believe Banati hosted the attackers in the days leading up to the assault.
In another incident, Banati is suspected to have been part of the group that stormed the Baure KDF camp in Lamu in June 2015. That attack ended with 11 terrorists killed by Kenyan forces.
Despite extensive efforts by Kenyan and international security agencies, Banati has continued to evade capture, deepening concerns about his operational reach and network. The US hopes the multi-million shilling reward will incentivize information that could finally bring him to justice.
