Kenyan anti-terrorism investigators say they have dismantled what they describe as one of the most sophisticated terror facilitation networks uncovered in the country. Nine suspects, among them a prominent Nairobi lawyer, are expected to be charged in the coming days following months of intelligence-driven operations.
The investigation began earlier this year after the arrest of about ten young recruits who were allegedly preparing to leave Kenya. Their detention is said to have provided critical insight into a wider structure believed to guide radicalised individuals from local recruitment points to ISIS affiliates abroad.
According to officials, the network operated by moving recruits through Kenya to Puntland in northern Somalia before arranging their onward passage across the Gulf of Aden into Yemen. Security officers say these areas serve as major transit routes for individuals trying to join ISIS-linked groups.
A senior ATPU officer said the system functioned “like a conveyor belt,” with Kenya used as a corridor for the movement of people and funds.
Investigators claim the Nairobi lawyer was drawn into the network after representing several terror suspects in Kenyan courts. Authorities believe he initially offered legitimate legal services but later became involved in coordinating logistics and financing. Some of his fees are alleged to have been paid by extremist financiers.
He is expected to face charges connected to terror financing, membership in a terror organisation, and participation in a criminal network.
Senior security officials say they have compiled extensive evidence, including bank transfers, travel documents, hotel records and cryptocurrency transactions. The ATPU describes the network as a coordinated system involving financial experts, legal practitioners, transport operators and hospitality workers.
The suspects remain in ATPU custody in Nairobi as investigators continue analysing digital devices, communication logs and financial records. Prosecutors are preparing to seek additional time to complete the evidence review.
Officials say the takedown marks a significant win for counter-terrorism efforts in Kenya, which continues to confront cross-border extremist threats nearly two decades after some of the country’s deadliest attacks.
