Two NPR officers killed in IED explosion at Mandera border

Scene of the incident that killed two officers and injured two others during an explosion in Mandera on January 14, 2026. [Ibrahim Adan Ali, Standard]

Two National Police Reservists (NPR) have died, while a similar number sustained injuries following an explosion in Mandera.

According to police reports seen by The Standard, the officers were manning Kulun Border Point Four yesterday evening when they were hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) believed to have been planted on the ground.

“On 14/01/2026 at Kulun Border Point Four along the Bulla Hawa (Somalia)–Mandera (Kenya) border, approximately 100 metres inside Kenya, NPR officers on duty were hit by an IED planted on the ground,” reads part of the report.

Information recorded in the Occurrence Book (OB) indicates the attack is suspected to have been carried out by elements of the Somalia National Army manning a nearby position and is believed to have been retaliatory.

Kenyan police declined to specify the nature of the retaliation or the purpose of the incident, even after a follow-up by a Standard Group correspondent.

The injured officers were admitted to Mandera Referral Hospital for treatment before being flown to Nairobi today for further medical care.

The scene was secured by multi-agency teams, exhibits were recovered, and a secondary IED was safely detonated.

The report confirms that all arms were accounted for, and the bodies of the deceased were released for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) in Mandera are set to begin investigations today.