More than four years after the deadly assault on the Manda Bay Airfield in Lamu, the United States government is intensifying efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and they’re offering a staggering Ksh1.3 billion (approximately $10 million) for help.
The cash reward, announced on Wednesday, May 8, is part of Washington’s broader counterterrorism strategy. The bounty targets those responsible for orchestrating the January 5, 2020, attack, which left both American and Kenyan personnel dead. Chief among the suspects is Abdullahi Banati, identified by US authorities as one of the key planners of the assault.
The offer comes through the Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, a U.S. State Department initiative run by the Diplomatic Security Service. For over four decades, RFJ has incentivized public cooperation in global security efforts, having paid out more than Ksh32 billion ($250 million) for tips that led to major breakthroughs in counterterrorism cases.
In its statement, the U.S. Embassy in Somalia encouraged individuals with actionable information to contact them discreetly. The embassy emphasized that all communications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
The renewed push highlights just how seriously the U.S. treats the unresolved threat posed by those behind the Manda Bay incident and how determined it is to close the case.
