Sh647 million bounty offered for Al-Shabaab leader Abdikadir Ikrima behind 2010 Kampala bombings
The US Department of State said Ikrima played a key role in planning and directing the coordinated suicide attacks that targeted crowds watching the World Cup final on July 11, 2010.
A $5 million (approximately Sh647 million) bounty has been placed on the head of Abdikadir Ikrima, a top Al-Shabaab figure accused of orchestrating the deadly 2010 twin bombings in Kampala, Uganda, that left scores dead, including a US national.
In a notice, the US Department of State said Abdikadir played a key role in planning and directing the coordinated suicide attacks that targeted crowds watching the World Cup final on July 11, 2010.
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“On July 11, 2010, al-Shabaab terrorists conducted suicide bombings at two locations in the Ugandan capital during screenings of the World Cup final, killing 76 people, including a US citizen,” the Department said in the statement.
The attacks occurred at a rugby club and an Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala, and were among the deadliest terror incidents in East Africa since the 1998 US embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
The United States has now urged anyone with information on Ikrima, whose full name is Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, or others involved in the attack, to come forward. The State Department said such information could make one eligible for a reward and possible relocation.
“If you have information on these attacks, Abdikadir, or any other individuals involved in these bombings, contact us via Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp, or our Tor-based tips line,” read the notice.
The appeal was issued under the Rewards for Justice program run by the US Diplomatic Security Service, which focuses on terror-related leads globally.
Abdikadir is believed to be a senior figure within Al-Shabaab’s external operations wing and has long been on the radar of international counter-terrorism agencies.
The attacks, which struck the Ethiopian Village restaurant and the Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala, left more than 70 people dead and scores injured. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombings just days later, saying they were in retaliation for Uganda’s military role in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which had deployed troops to support Somalia’s transitional government.
Investigations later revealed that the attacks were planned in Somalia, with the explosives transported through Kenya. The perpetrators came from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, highlighting the transnational nature of the crime and the extent of regional collaboration among militants.
Authorities noted that the complex investigation was made possible through coordinated efforts by security agencies from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, the US, and the UK. Reports indicated that US support included FBI agents, Diplomatic Security officers, NYPD detectives, and trial attorneys from the Department of Justice who assisted Ugandan authorities in collecting evidence and building the case.
Eight of the 13 suspects put on trial were convicted on terrorism-related charges, while five were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
The trial also revealed that several suspects were illegally rendered from neighbouring countries to Uganda, including from Kenya and Somalia.
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