Lawyer Chacha Mwita among 3 formally charged with terror related charges

A prominent lawyer was among three people charged with terrorism on Wednesday at the Kahawa Law Courts.

The three individuals—lawyer Andrew Chacha Mwita, Mariam Ali Abdalla, and Stephen Kiveve Musembi—appeared before Magistrate Gideon Kiage.

They face charges including 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 Act.

Andrew Chacha Mwita is accused of helping transfer funds from a cryptocurrency account linked to the Islamic State East Africa through his M-Pesa account.

He faces two counts under Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

After pleading not guilty, Mwita was granted a personal bond of Sh5 million with two contact persons provided. His miscellaneous application was later closed, and the case is set for mention and disclosures on January 20, 2026.

Mariam Ali Abdalla faces two counts for dealing in property owned or controlled by terrorist groups.

It is alleged that on August 22, 2024, she facilitated a funds transfer via her mobile number, knowing or 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 opposed her bond application, and she was remanded at Lang’ata Women’s Prison pending a bond ruling on December 8, 2025.

Stephen Kiveve Musembi was charged with two counts after investigators claimed that on October 14, 2024, he facilitated a money transfer through a mobile number registered to an account connected to IS East Africa operations.

He pleaded not guilty and is currently held at Kamiti Prison, with a bail ruling scheduled for December 15, 2025, pending a pre-bail probation report.

These cases highlight Kenya’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism financing and dismantle networks linked to extremist groups.

The three were part of a larger arrest operation.

Mwita was arrested in Mombasa town on November 14, 2025, on allegations of soliciting and supporting terrorist groups, and was transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) headquarters in Nairobi on November 15 for further investigation.

He was among 22 individuals targeted in a nationwide counter-terrorism operation that spanned Nairobi, Mombasa, Kapseret, Moyale, and Marsabit.

The operation also netted other suspects accused of facilitating radicalization, recruitment, and financing of terror activities across the country.