FBI Adventure: Kenya
FBI Adventure: Kenya
U.S. Embassy Bombing
Briefing: At approximately 10:40 a.m. on August 7, 1998, a bomb exploded near the United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. The bomb killed 213 people, including 12 Americans and 31 people employed at the embassy. More than 4,000 people were wounded in the terrorist attack. Many of these people were in nearby buildings or in the adjacent area outside. The embassy, which was located in the congested downtown area, was extensively damaged, as the blast ripped through each floor and gutted the building. The entire embassy compound, as well as the surrounding buildings in the crowded downtown location, suffered severe damage.
The FBI immediately went to East Africa to assist in the search, rescue, and investigative efforts. The exhaustive investigation of the crime scenes, in cooperation with the host countries, included over 1,000 interviews. This investigation was the largest overseas deployment of personnel in FBI history. The FBI named the investigation in Kenya “Kenbom,” combining the words “Kenya” and “bombing.”
Regional Facts
Geography:
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Area:
Total—580,367 sq km
Land—569,140 sq km
Water—11,227 sq km
Comparative—Slightly larger than twice the size of Nevada
Climate: Varies from tropical along the coast to arid in interior.
Terrain: Low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west.
Elevation Extremes: Indian Ocean - O m; Mount Kenya - 5,199 m
Population: 45 million (July 2014 estimate)
Nationality: Kenyan
Languages: Kishwahili (official), English (official), many indigenous languages
Government:
Country name: Republic of Kenya (long form)
Former Name: British East Africa
Type: Republic
Capital: Nairobi
Independence: December 12, 1963 (from the U.K.)
Flag: Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior’s shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center.
Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Map of the Region
Map Courtesy of CIA World Factbook
Mission Status
To date, more than 20 people have been charged in connection with the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Several of these individuals—including Osama bin Laden—have been killed. Six are serving life sentences in U.S. prison, and a few others are awaiting trial.
The investigation continues because a few of the defendants have not been captured. There is a significant reward for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of these fugitives.