The Department of Defense has announced the repatriation of Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu from Guantanamo Bay to Kenya. This decision follows a determination by the Periodic Review Board (PRB) on December 27, 2021, that continued detention was not necessary for U.S. national security.
On November 14, 2024, Secretary of Defense Austin informed Congress about his plan to transfer Bajabu. The United States values the support for efforts aimed at reducing the detainee population and closing the Guantanamo Bay facility.
The PRB was created under Executive Order 13567 issued on March 7, 2011. It aligns with section 1023 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012 and is affirmed in Executive Order 13823 from January 30, 2018. The panel includes senior officials from various departments and agencies.
Currently, there are 29 detainees at Guantanamo Bay: fifteen are eligible for transfer; three await a Periodic Review Board; seven are part of military commissions proceedings; and four have been convicted by military commissions.
