Bodies of 5 killed in Mandera flown to Nairobi as another attack foiled in Garissa
Five of the eight people killed by suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists in Mandera on Tuesday were flown to Nairobi on Wednesday for preservation and postmortem examination.
This was revealed by Mandera County Police Commander Robison Ndiwa who said the other three bodies were buried on Tuesday evening in accordance with Islamic doctrine.
“We received assistance from the military that airlifted the five bodies to Nairobi. The bodies were taken to Nairobi Funeral Home for collection by the families after being examined by a government pathologist,” Mr Ndiwa said.
The Mandera County Police boss said an inquiry file has been opened as he welcomed locals with any information on the attack to come forward and assist the police in investigations.
“We are looking at a banditry incident and not a terror attack, as such. We have launched investigations and in a matter of time, we shall know who was behind the attack,” he said.
At least eight people were killed in an ambush by gunmen along Mandera-Arabia Road near the Kenya Somalia border on Tuesday morning. They included two members of National Police Reservists and five staff working on a road project.
Four of the victims were from Kinangop in Nyandarua County while the NPRs were Mohamed Ibrahim Hussein, a resident of Koromei in Mandera and Abdifatah Abdille Ibrahim, from Bulla Barwaqo in Mandera Town.
The double-cabin pick up was being driven by Hassan Hussein Kussow, who suffered serious gunshot injuries and later succumbed while being treated at Mandera County Teaching and Referral Hospital.
John Ng’anga’a Munene, Peter Musili Kiondo, Stephen Kanyi Macharia and Stephen Munene Nga’ang’a were from Kinangop and were etching a living in Mandera town.
John was killed together with his son Stephen. Peter Kahio Kariuki, another victim, was from Muranga County.
All the eight worked for County Builders LTD, a company contracted by Kenya Rural Roads Authority to tarmac the Mandera – Arabia road.
Tuesday's attack was the second targeting the construction company since it was awarded the tender in 2018.
On December 22, 2019, at Hagarsu Bida, along the road, suspected Al-Shabaab militants used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to blow up road construction machinery valued at Sh38.8 million leading to halt of the project.
The equipment included an excavator valued at Sh20 million, a Sh9.5 million flat roller, sheep-foot roller worth 9.5 million and a pressure pump worth Sh800.000.
Godfrey Waweru, who survived the incident said they were in a convoy of three vehicles and it was the first vehicle that was attacked.
“We don’t sleep together but we leave the town almost at the same time in different vehicles. The first vehicle with eight people on board was attacked. We saw what was happening from far away. We turned back,” Waweru said.
According to Waweru, a delay in departing town saved the other two vehicles with more than ten workers.
“We did not leave the town together. The other vehicles were to go round and pick up our colleagues from where they stay,” he said.
Mr Ndiwa, the Mandera County Police Commander said his team was yet to make any arrests in connection to the incident.
“We are yet to make any arrests. The attackers quickly crossed over into Somalia and the sparse settlement in that area makes it difficult to effect any immediate arrest,” he said.
A vehicle riddled with bullets. At least eight people travelling to a road construction site were killed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants on November 10, 2026.
The two AK47 rifles and more than 150 rounds of ammunition stolen by the attackers from the NPRs are yet to be recovered.
“We are doing everything possible to recover the rifles,” Mr Ndiwa vowed.
Meanwhile, security agencies in Garissa County repulsed an attempted attack on the Quick Response Unit (QRU) at Kamuthe in Fafi sub-County.
The incident happened at 1.00am according to a security report filed at Fafi Police Station.
“At approximately 01:15hrs on 11 November 2026, suspected Al-Shabaab militants launched a probe attack on the Kamuthe QRU Camp in Fafi, Garissa. Security forces at the camp successfully repulsed the assault,” read the report.
On Saturday, suspected Al-Shabaab militants simultaneously carried out an attempt on Hulugho Police station and Gesreb Special Operation Camp in Ijara sub-County.
Security agencies in both camps repulsed the attackers successfully.
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