Somali militants attack the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya killing at least 21 people and injuring 19.

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. Stretching across the Horn of Africa, it borders Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the east. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland. Somalia has an estimated population of 18.1 million, of which 2.7 million live in the capital and largest city, Mogadishu. One of Africa's most ethnically homogenous countries, around 85% of Somalia's residents are ethnic Somalis. The official languages of the country are Somali and Arabic, though Somali is the primary language. Somalia has historic and religious ties to the Arab world. The people are Muslims, adherents of the Sunni branch.

From the 15 to 16 January 2019, a coordinated attack against civilians occurred at the DusitD2 complex in Westlands District, Nairobi, Kenya. The attack began at around 14:30 EAT (UTC+3), shortly after a suicide bomber blew himself up near the center of the complex at a restaurant. Four attackers associated with Harakat Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen carried out a mass shooting for over 22 hours which left 21 civilians, one Kenyan soldier and all five militants dead.

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of 1,795 metres (5,889 ft). The name is derived from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyrobi, which translates to 'place of cool waters', a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper had a population of 4,397,073 in the 2019 census.

January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 350 days remain until the end of the year.