A police officer was killed in Mandera on Friday and another injured when security officers believed to be from Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) attacked them.
A group of five Kenyan police officers were manning the Kenya Somalia border in Mandera when the NISA group of about 20 approached and opened fire.
Dennis Omari, a police constable was killed while Wright Mokua sustained gunshot injuries. During the incident, two firearms were lost to the NISA group.
The two guns taken by the NISA group included a G3 rifle (serial number A00708) with 60 rounds of ammunition belonging to the killed officer and an AK 47 rifle (serial number 5501352) with 30 rounds belonging to a National Police Reservist.
According to the police in Mandera, the NISA officers were on retaliatory mission following the arrest of two people during a botched abduction of Chinese nationals working on a sewerage project in Mandera town.
A brother to one of the suspects is in police custody. Kenyan authorities believe he coordinated the attack on the police officers.
Mandera County Criminal Investigations Officer Pius Gitari confirmed and term the incident as an incursion.
“Security agencies from Somalia attacked our officer at the border, killed and took away two firearms,” Mr Gitari said on phone.
According to Mr Gitari, the Somalia group wanted to abduct the police officers to push for the release of the suspects in police custody.
“Their aim was to abduct our officers, but they found the officers armed, leading to the shootout,” he said.
On several occasions, the NISA group has been visiting Mandera Police station seeking the release of the two suspects unconditionally.
“We had taken note of the regular visits to the station and the pressure to release these suspects. We decided to take them (suspects) to Nairobi. The group from NISA wanted to abduct our officers to force negotiations over the release of the terror suspects in exchange for our officers,” Mr Gitari said.
Immediately after the incident, security agencies in Mandera engaged the Bulahawa (Somalia) agencies.
“We asked Bulahawa to bring back our rifles, arrest and hand over those who carried out the attack,” Mr Gitari said.
By Friday evening, the G3 rifle had been handed back but the search for the AK47 is still on.
“We are challenged by the functioning of the Somalia government in Bulahawa. There are two parallel authorities making it difficult to engage. We have Jubaland forces with a District Officer and the Somalia National Army (SNA) also with their own DC,” Mr Gitari said.
The county DCI boss confirmed the involvement of a brother to one of the terror suspects in the invasion.
“A brother to one of the suspects led the incursion. We are putting pressure on Somalia authorities to arrest and hand over those involved,” he insisted.
On February 18, Anti-Terror police unit in Mandera arrested Isaack Abdi Mohamed alias Kharan Abdi Hassan and Noor Yakub Ali after linking them to an alleged planned abduction of foreigners working on a government project in Mandera East.
Police said Mohamed crossed into Mandera from Somalia and illegally acquired a Kenyan Identification Card that enabled him to move freely. According to security sources in Mandera, he came into the country from El-Ade in Somalia.
Before his arrest, Mohamed had advanced in his plan to abduct the Chinese, including having paid a local Sh100,000 to facilitate the process. A local chief in Mandera was also arrested over links to illegal processing of Kenyan identity cards for two terror suspects.
Mr Yussuf Maalim Isaack, the Bula Power assistant chief, was arrested on February 20, 2025.
The Friday incident happened amid reports of impending terror attacks targeting food kiosks in Mandera town.
“We were asked last week to close all food kiosks managed by non-locals on grounds that we are being targeted with allegations they are selling food when Muslims are fasting,” a food kiosk owner in Mandera town told Nation.Africa on anonymity.
She said it was shocking that religion was being used to frustrate those in business in Mandera town.
“The information came from our security officers. It shocked us because those that are supposed to protect us are being used to limit our operations here,” she said.
