NAIROBI (KAAB TV) – The Kenyan government has formally designated Al-Islaah, an Islamist organization with links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir, as a terrorist group. This move places Al-Islaah in the same category as Al-Shabaab and other extremist entities already outlawed under Kenyan law.
The decision was published in the Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 157, dated 19 September 2025, and signed by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen.
The designation was made under powers granted by the Prevention of Terrorism Act, effectively criminalizing all forms of support or affiliation with the organization.
Criminalization of Affiliation and Support
According to the gazette notice, all activities linked to Al-Islaah — including membership, financial support, ideological promotion, or organizational affiliation — are now considered criminal offenses.
This also extends to its ideological counterparts: the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir, both of which are now officially banned in Kenya.
This is a landmark step, as Kenya becomes the first country in East Africa to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood, aligning itself with nations such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Russia, which have also designated the group as a terrorist organization.
Al-Islaah’s Regional Influence and Global Ties
Al-Islaah operates under two internal factions — Dam Jadid (“New Blood”) and Dam Qadim (“Old Blood”) — and has been previously banned in several Arab countries. Despite these bans, the group maintains significant ideological and political influence in Qatar and Turkey, where it has found financial and strategic support.
In Somalia, Al-Islaah’s influence runs deep, with longstanding ties to the federal government, academic institutions, business entities, and civil society. Several high-ranking Somali officials, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre, and various cabinet ministers, are widely believed to be affiliated with or sympathetic to Al-Islaah.
This has created new diplomatic tensions between Nairobi and Mogadishu, as Kenya’s designation of the group as a terrorist entity could strain cross-border relations, particularly in matters of security cooperation, trade, and regional integration.
A Response to Growing Security Threats
Although the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir have not been directly linked to large-scale terror attacks in Kenya, local and international intelligence agencies have accused them of promoting extremist ideologies, recruiting secretly, and maintaining covert links with global terrorist networks.
Kenya’s Interior Ministry has stated that the ban is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the nation’s counter-terrorism efforts, particularly as the country continues to face threats from Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based, al-Qaeda-linked militant group responsible for numerous deadly attacks on Kenyan soil.
Notable attacks attributed to Al-Shabaab include:
The Westgate Mall attack (2013), which left 67 dead,
The Garissa University College massacre (2015), which killed 148,
The DusitD2 hotel bombing in Nairobi (2019), which resulted in 21 deaths.
Kenya’s Expanding Role in the Global Fight Against Terror
The latest designation highlights Kenya’s growing role as a frontline state in the global war against terrorism. By formally banning Al-Islaah and its affiliates, the government aims to dismantle ideological networks that provide support or recruitment grounds for more violent extremist groups.
Kenyan authorities believe that this move will:
Empower law enforcement agencies to act preemptively,
Disrupt extremist financing networks,
And deter radicalization, especially among the youth.
The move also sends a clear message to domestic and international actors that Kenya is committed to upholding national security and combating ideologically driven extremism in all its forms.