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Anti-Terrorism Police Arrest Woman in Eastleigh Operation Over Alleged Terror Links

Nairobi — The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) has arrested a woman in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood suspected of providing support to a terrorist organization, in what authorities describe as an intelligence-led operation.

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Asho Kassim Hassan was apprehended along Major Muriithi Street following what the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) termed a targeted raid based on credible intelligence. She is expected to be charged under Kenya’s Prevention of Terrorism Act for allegedly soliciting and providing support to a terrorist group.

During the arrest, detectives seized a passport and mobile phone, which have been handed over to forensic analysts for examination. Investigators hope the digital evidence will help identify a broader network of individuals potentially linked to terrorist activities.

“She is currently in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment,” the DCI stated in a communication released Friday.

The arrest has reignited public debate over security measures in Eastleigh, a predominantly Somali neighborhood that has periodically been the focus of counter-terrorism operations due to Kenya’s proximity to Somalia and the ongoing threat from the Al-Shabaab militant group.

Online reactions to the arrest were mixed. While some Kenyans called for enhanced security measures including permanent checkpoints with sniffer dogs in the area, critics argued that such tactics disproportionately target local residents and amount to collective punishment of the community.

The DCI emphasized that the operation was the result of “intensified intelligence operations, enhanced inter-agency coordination, and sustained community partnerships,” crediting local informants alongside formal intelligence gathering.

Kenya has faced persistent security challenges from Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based terrorist group that has carried out numerous attacks on Kenyan soil, including the 2013 Westgate Mall siege and the 2015 Garissa University attack that killed 148 people.

The case is expected to proceed through the courts in the coming days as prosecutors prepare formal charges against the suspect.