Three individuals were arraigned on Wednesday at the Kahawa Law Courts to face terrorism-financing charges, in a case authorities say highlights the country’s crackdown on extremist networks and their financial channels.
The suspects, lawyer Andrew Chacha Mwita, Mariam Ali Abdalla, and Stephen Kiveve Musembi, appeared before Hon. Gideon Kiage, each accused of facilitating transactions allegedly linked to the Islamic State (IS) East Africa Cell.
The three are charged with “collecting or providing property and services for terrorist acts, in violation of Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act,” and “dealing in property owned or controlled by terrorist groups, contrary to Section 8(1)” of the same law.
In the first case, prosecutor filings accuse lawyer Andrew Chacha Mwita of helping transfer funds from a cryptocurrency account linked to the Islamic State East Africa through his M-Pesa account.
Mwita faces two counts under Section 5(1) of the Act.
After pleading not guilty, Mwita was granted a personal bond of Sh5 million, with the court noting that two contact persons had been provided.
His previous miscellaneous application was formally closed, and the case will return to court for mention and disclosures on January 20, 2026.
Co-accused Mariam Ali Abdalla also faces two counts of dealing in terrorist-linked property. Investigators allege that on August 22, 2024, she facilitated a funds transfer via her mobile number, having reasonable grounds to believe that the money was linked to the Islamic State (IS) East Africa Cell.
Abdalla pleaded not guilty, but the prosecution strongly opposed her bond application. As a result, the court ordered that she be remanded at Lang’ata Women’s Prison, pending a bond ruling scheduled for December 8, 2025.
The third suspect, Stephen Kiveve Musembi, was charged with two counts arising from allegations that on October 14, 2024, he facilitated a money transfer through a mobile number registered to an account connected to IS East Africa Cell operations.
Musembi also pleaded not guilty and was ordered to be held at Kamiti Prison, with the court setting December 15, 2025 for a bail ruling. The decision will be based on a pre-bail probation report currently under preparation.
The arraignment reaffirms what authorities describe as Kenya’s intensified effort to disrupt financing routes that enable extremist activity.
In court, it was noted that the cases form part of Kenya’s ongoing effort to fight terrorism financing and dismantle networks linked to extremist groups.
The three cases will proceed separately, with the court expected to address bond terms and further disclosures in the coming weeks.
