Eight people working on a road construction project in Mandera County were killed on Tuesday morning after they were ambushed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants.
The incident happened about an hour after a team of 15 left Mandera town to a construction site along the Mandera-Arabia-Lafey Road.
According to security sources, the group was travelling in two vehicles. Immediately the leading vehicle was shot at, the driver of the second vehicle made a quick U-turn and returned to Mandera town.
Seven people were killed on the spot while the driver of the ill-fated vehicle died while being treated at Mandera County Teaching and Referral Hospital, raising the number of fatalities to eight.
Mandera County Police Commander said the attack was isolated since the area had enjoyed relative calm in recent months.
“We lost seven people; including two National Police Reservists, after they were ambushed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants. Their vehicle was sprayed with bullets as they headed to work,” Mr Ndiwa said told Nation .
He said the motive of the attack had not yet been established but combined security teams had pursued the attackers who fled towards Somalia.
As investigations progressed, Mandera County Criminal Investigation Officer Pius Gitari pointed a finger at a possible clan incitement.
“That area has been calm since the road construction project began in April this year. We are suspecting this incident was about provoking local communities into clan clashes. We have had no complaints concerning the project,” he said.
Two different clans reside on either side of the Kenya-Somalia border and according to the crime buster, one of them targeted the project to possibly stir up a clan conflict.
“We are looking at a possible incitement to clan conflict along the border. The project has been going on since April without any incident. Neither the contractor himself nor the workers have reported any insecurity incident since April when they commenced work,” Mr Gitau said.
He blamed the incident on the long and porous border that makes it easy for attackers to strike and quickly retreat into Somalia.
Two firearms and an unknown number of ammunition in possession of the two reservists killed in the incident are reported missing.
“We lost two rifles and ammunition to the attackers. We suspect they took them after killing the occupants in the first vehicle,” Mr Gitau said.
Mandera County Police Commander Robinson Ndiwa said the sparsely populated border area leaves gaps that are exploited by the militants.
“The militants are using unoccupied areas to sneak into Mandera. We are engaging locals in efforts to fight the menace,” Mr Ndiwa said.
Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif in a post on his Facebook page condemned the Tuesday morning incident and called for speedy investigations.
“I am deeply saddened and strongly condemn the tragic ambush targeting a security vehicle escorting road construction workers along the Mandera-Arabia-Lafey Road in the Hagarsu area,” Governor Khalif said.
He added, “This is a devastating loss, not only to the bereaved families, colleagues and friends of the departed, but also to the people of Mandera. It is particularly painful that individuals dedicated to advancing infrastructure and development in our county have lost their lives in such tragic circumstances”.
Mr Khalif said Mandera deserved peace, security and an environment where development initiatives can proceed without fear or intimidation.
“We remain committed to working with all relevant stakeholders towards lasting peace and stability in our county,” he posted.
Over the weekend, suspected Al-Shabaab militants attempted to attack Damasa security camp within Lafey but were repulsed by security officers.
Al-Shabaab fighters.
Photo credit: File | AFP
Attempts to attack security camps in the area have been recorded as ‘probing’ incidents by security agencies. Militants carry out such attacks to check on the strength and alertness of the officers within the camps.
Residents of Mandera residing along the common border with Somalia have expressed their concern with the rate at which the militants are carrying out attacks.
“We are having attacks in this area almost on a daily basis. If the Al-Shabaab is not attacking Fino, then it will attack Arabia or Lafey town itself. We are worried when travelling because they have planted explosives on the roads,” a concerned resident said on anonymity.
Mr Abdullahi Abdille Shahow, a security expert and research fellow with Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies, which is a think tank, attributes the situation to the porous border.
He says the frequency, nature, and operational dynamics of attacks in Mandera differ from other counties due to distinct geographic, demographic, and logistical factors.
“Al-Shabaab has an extra advantage in that it has a considerable presence and controls towns and villages inside Somalia within the Gedow region that is close to the Kenyan border in Mandera,” he said.
Kenya’s lack of military force in the Gedow region under African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) leaves the window wide open for the militants to invade Mandera.
In Mandera, the militants usually target government security forces, civilians, infrastructure, and poorly defended government outposts. The militia operates with relative impunity, conducting attacks almost at will and at the time and place of its choosing.
“Al-Shabaab exploits Kenya’s long, porous border with Somalia. The northeast is vast, with little government presence and lots of ungoverned space,” Mr Shahow said.
He added, “The far apart security camps are a disadvantage in dealing with militants since responses and reinforcements are always delayed whenever the militants attack.”
He argues that the ongoing campaign against Al-Shabaab in parts of Somalia is thought to be a contributing factor to the opportunistic attacks in Kenya, especially near the border.
Al-Shabaab attacks have had profound adverse effects on the population, disrupting everyday life, affecting livelihoods and deepening the socio-economic woes of one of the most underdeveloped regions in Kenya.
On May 9 2026, six family members were killed after a hired matatu was intercepted by gunmen in the Beer Awayon area near Omar Jillo trading centre along the same road.
The family members were travelling from Mandera town to Arabia village along the Kenya-Somalia border to attend an annual Quran recitation competition when the attackers opened fire, riddling the vehicle with bullets.
“Everything happened so fast that I realised we were under attack after our vehicle had turned back towards Mandera town. It is unfortunate that I lost colleagues,” a survivor who spoke on condition of anonymity as he declined to share more details.
On July 31, 2026, pastoralists near the border reported sighting heavily armed militants crossing into Mandera. The militants warned the herders against reporting their presence to security agencies and further asked them to vacate the area.
Locals of Waranqara in Lafey complained of being frustrated by the militants in the grazing fields. In some incidents, the militants have been accused of harassing herders and imposing illegal charges to allow them to graze and water their animals.
“The militants will always harass herders because they want to extort them or when they suspect the herders of being government informers. The militants will never want their movements or presence known and this has led to harassment of herders in the region,” he said.
