Guantanamo Bay detainee Bajabu released to Kenya

The fate of Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu, the only Kenyan detained at the United States’ Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba since 2007, remains uncertain a day after reports of his repatriation to Kenya emerged.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Bajabu’s transfer to the Kenyan government. However, his exact location remains undisclosed, with his family and legal representatives avoiding media engagement.

His elder sister, Mwajuma Rajab, who resides in Likoni’s Majengo Mapya area, acknowledged her brother’s return but refrained from revealing further details.

For most of the day, the family appeared reluctant to speak, potentially acting on legal advice, and declining calls from the press and civil society organizations.

 Bajabu, also known as detainee KE-10025, has been the subject of scrutiny since his arrest. In 2021, the U.S. Periodic Review Board deemed his continued detention unnecessary, citing no significant threat to national security.

Peace-loving individual

Born in Kaloleni, Kisumu, to a Luhya mother, Bajabu was raised in Mombasa after his family relocated. Mwajuma, his elder sister, described him as a devout, peace-loving individual who avoided trouble.

 “He came to Mombasa as a young boy, attended madrasa, and later Tudor Primary School. He was a hard worker and even did casual jobs loading maize flour,” Mwajuma shared.

 She said Bajabu later pursued studies in Sudan before venturing into the fish trade, travelling extensively. It was during this time he disappeared into Somalia, married, and started a family. By the time of his arrest in 2007, his youngest child was just three months old.

Bajabu’s Guantanamo detention profile paints a complex picture. U.S. authorities alleged that he trained with extremists in Somalia and facilitated al-Qaeda operations, including the 2002 Mombasa attacks. Arrested by Kenyan authorities in 2007, he was handed over to U.S. custody.

His unclassified Guantanamo Bay Detainee profile released by the Periodic Review Board indicates that he was inspired by a radical imam to leave Kenya in 1996 to receive extremist training in Somalia where he developed a close relationship with members of al-inEast Africa (AQEA), including high-level operational planners.

Mombasa attacks

According to the profile approved for Public Release, Bajabu became an AQEA facilitator and was closely involved in the preparation and execution of the November 2002 attacks in Mombasa, Kenya.

“In February 2007, Kenyan authorities arrested KE- 10025 for his involvement in the Mombasa attacks and transferred him to US custody a few weeks later.”

The 51-year-old was described as a highly compliant detainee since arriving at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in March 2007. However, in debriefings, Bajabu offered conflicting narratives about his activities prior to his arrest and would not provide much information of value about his AQEA associates or the group’s operations.

“After a few months, he expressed discomfort with providing the US with further information and became uncooperative with interrogators; in mid-2010, he stopped coming to sessions altogether. As a result, we have gaps in our understanding of his activities from 1997-2002 and again from 2003-2006.KE -10025 has not expressed continued support for extremist activity or anti-US sentiments, although he is critical of US foreign policy. KE- 10025 considers himself a Quranic healer and holds conservative Islamic views that are likely to make transfer to and assimilation in non -Muslim countries difficult. If transferred, we expect that KE -10025 will attempt to reunite with his wife and children who currently reside in Somalia,” stated the profile.

Periodic review

During Periodic Review Hearings Dated May 10, 2016, the Personal Representatives for Bajabu who presented his case with the assistance of his Private Counsel, indicated that Bajabu has always been willing to participate in the Periodic Review process since their first meeting in mid-March 2016.

“After initially explaining the reason for our meeting, he was visibly overjoyed to have this opportunity. He has remained positive at all of our meetings and has always demonstrated his gratefulness and his respect toward us. During our meetings, Abdul Malik has conveyed his hope of reuniting with his family. Although he is willing to be transferred to any country, he would prefer a country that has a significant Arabic -speaking majority. He is also agreeable to participate in any rehabilitation or reintegration program that may be required. He longs to get on with his life after his transfer from Guantanamo Bay, and he is ready to reconnect with his wife and children,” the representative said.

They further told the board that he looked forward to seeing his sisters and brothers and meeting some of the newest members of his family who were born during his time in detention.

The board was told that “his experience as a small business owner for a fishing and diving company should provide him with skills and abilities to obtain employment regardless of where he is transferred. He has a strong mind for entrepreneurship. In fact, his thirst for business knowledge includes reading Dale Carnegie business management books. Abdul Malik has been a compliant detainee and has gained a sense of achievement by being a camp cook for his fellow detainees. With the chance to meet and mingle with so many people of various cultural and religious backgrounds here at GTMO, Abdul Malik has also had an opportunity to be aware of and appreciate these other beliefs and customs which will serve him well to wherever he is transferred. Adbul Malik speaks and understands English very well. We are convinced that Abdul Malik’s intention to pursue a better way of life if transferred from Guantanamo Bay is authentic and that he bears no animosity towards anyone.”

Of note, Bajabu’s representatives in the case stated that the detainee had not made any negative or a derogatory remark toward U.S. policies and had not expressed an interest in extremist activities of any kind.

While detained, Bajabu reportedly provided limited information and eventually stopped cooperating with interrogators. His time at Guantanamo was marked by both hardship and transformation.

Initially, he endured harrowing conditions, including torture, sleep deprivation, and long periods in solitary confinement. According to Mwajuma, her brother revealed chilling details of being stripped naked, whipped, and left in freezing cells.

“He told us he had not bathed for four years after arriving at the camp and was given little food, leading to significant weight loss,” she recounted.

However, conditions improved in later years. Bajabu was assigned a private room with basic amenities and engaged in activities like cooking, exercising, and reading. His favourites included reciting the Qur’an and reading English novels.

In 2022, Bajabu’s family received unexpected news that he was set to be released. Mwajuma fainted upon hearing it. After 15 years in detention, the possibility of freedom seemed unreal to the family.

“We last spoke two months before the announcement, and he never hinted at his release. When I told his wife in Somalia, she was overjoyed,” Mwajuma said.

Despite the uncertainty, the family has prepared to welcome him back. Plans include traditional sacrifices and celebrations to mark his return.

As his family awaits clarity on his current status, Mwajuma remains optimistic. “He is a strong-willed man. Despite everything, he still loves chai ya iliki and biryani, just as he did before all this began.”