Two children injured after explosion in Kotile, Garissa county

Two school-going children were injured on Tuesday after they stepped on an explosive device in Kotile Location, Ijara Sub-County of Garissa County.The incident has raised fresh concerns over the  presence of dangerous devices in the area. Adhan Abdi Hassan, 16, and Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali, 12, were herding goats when an unknown device exploded at around 4pm.

Adhan Abdi is an orphan and a Grade 10 student at Garissa High School, currently under the Elimu sponsorship programme.Mohamed Bashir, a relative of one of the boys, said they initially mistook the explosion for something else.

“We were later informed that it was these children and we were able to rush to the area. We found them bleeding profusely and rushed them to a nearby health facility where they got first aid,” he said.

According to Bashir, the boys sustained multiple injuries. Adhan Abdi Hassan lost several toes on his left foot and suffered additional injuries across his body, likely from the impact of the blast.The younger boy, a Grade 4 pupil at Kotile Primary School, also sustained body injuries, suggesting he was at some distance when the device exploded.

“Police have come and we gave them all the information and how it happened. We don’t know how that device found itself there and its source,” said Bashir.

The incident has alarmed residents, raising concerns over the presence of explosive devices in the area. Questions have also emerged over whether the device belonged to government security agencies or a terror group.The area’s proximity to Boni Forest means it is under heightened security surveillance, with Special Forces frequently conducting patrols.

The two boys were initially referred to Garissa Referral Hospital before being transferred to Nairobi for specialised treatment.Security sources said the injured children were taken to Nairobi West Hospital on the orders of senior security officials.

Sources in Masalani told The Standard that bomb experts from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit in Garissa have taken over investigations to determine the nature of the device.