The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has charged Mombasa-based lawyer Andrew Chacha Mwita with financing terrorism, accusing him of receiving funds from an Islamic State East Africa cell to facilitate terrorist acts.
Mwita appeared at Kahawa Law Courts on Monday, facing two counts under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and pleaded not guilty to both charges. He was released on a Sh5 million personal bond with two guarantors, and the case is set for mention on January 20, 2026.
Prosecution told the court that on July 6, 2024, Mwita, along with others not in court, received Sh12,854 via his mobile phone from a Binance account linked to the terrorist cell. He is also accused of receiving a further Sh30,110 from the same account on August 2, 2024, to fund a terrorist act.
“The severity of terrorist financing charges is not determined by the amounts involved, but by the broader threat such acts pose to Kenya and the international community,” the prosecution said.
They added that investigations and prosecutions of terrorist financing must follow strict safeguards to maintain the integrity of the judicial process, in line with recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Mwita, a practicing lawyer in Mombasa, will return to court in January 2026 for further mention as investigations continue.
The co-accused in the same case Mariam Ali Abdalla also faced 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 three cases will proceed separately, with the court expected to address bond terms and further disclosures in the coming weeks.
The DPP’s office emphasized that terrorist financing cases are treated with the utmost seriousness, reflecting Kenya’s commitment to curbing threats from local and international terrorist networks.
This case comes amid heightened vigilance in Kenya against individuals accused of providing financial and logistical support to terrorist groups, with authorities pledging to hold all suspects accountable under national and international law.
