Police accused of extrajudicial killings in Marsabit and Isiolo

Human rights advocate Kana Golicha and youth advocate Wako Guro during an appearance on Spice FM on February 5, 2025. [File]

Human rights defenders have raised concerns over alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture of residents in Marsabit and Isiolo counties by security agencies involved in a state-sanctioned operation launched in February 2025.

Local activists claim more than 81 people have been killed, with several others disappearing or reporting severe torture before being released. They claim those arrested are often never arraigned in court and are not told why they were detained.

Speaking on Spice FM on Thursday, February 5, youth advocate Wako Guro said the operation has severely disrupted life among pastoralist communities.

“The operation is more intense in Moyale. Young people are arrested, tortured, others get released, but in some cases, bodies are recovered,” said Wako.

“We aren’t certain who is behind the acts, but we know the agencies conducting the operation ordered by the National Security Council (NSC). The team comprises the Administration Police (AP), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), General Service (GSU), Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU), and National Police Reservists (NPR),” he added.

The National Police Service launched Operation Ondoa Jangili to flush out members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an Ethiopian rebel group accused of exploiting familial and cultural ties with the Borana community in northern Kenya to evade justice.

The group is accused of using Kenya as a base for arms, drug and human trafficking, illegal mining, and stoking inter-communal conflict. Police have also linked it to kidnappings for ransom in areas including Sololo, Moyale, North Horr, and Merti.

Rights groups, however, have raised alarm over what they describe as unlawful arrest methods, including claims that suspects are handed over to Ethiopian authorities. They say innocent Kenyans may be detained in foreign prisons without trial.

“They abduct young people and go as far as handing them over to the Ethiopian police. There are many young Kenyans in Ethiopian prisons, where I have visited them,” said advocate Kana Golicha.

Among the cases cited is that of Liban Boru Charfi, who was allegedly abducted on January 25 and whose body was found three days later after he was picked up in an unmarked vehicle. Two others, identified as Boru Guyo and Yusuf Halakhe, are reported to have disappeared after leaving home to buy household essentials for a lactating mother.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights condemned alleged violations during the operation in a statement issued on March 4, last year. Activists say its recommendations have not been implemented and that abuses persist.

But police spokesperson Muchiri Nyagah dismissed the allegations, in a phone interview with The Standard, saying there were no reports to support claims of extrajudicial killings.

“We don't have such killings...No reports made at all. These are numbers someone is trying to throw around without anything to show. ‘Operation Ondoa Jangili’ has been carried out with professionalism.  It has ensured that the integrity of our country is fully restored,” he said.

Nyagah cited what he described as significant gains, including reduced cases of human trafficking and cattle rustling, the reopening of schools and markets, and heightened vigilance against the spread of small arms.

Activist Bob Njagi said ultimate responsibility for safeguarding human rights rests with President William Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General Douglas Kanja.

Meanwhile, rights groups say they are planning demonstrations in Moyale town to demand accountability and justice.