A tense atmosphere prevails in Moyale, Marsabit County, as authorities work to secure the release of two South Korean missionaries kidnapped in a brazen attack on August 12.
Armed assailants abducted David Lee and his mother-in-law, Hiwi Sokk Cheon, from Odda Mission Secondary School, where they were actively involved in community outreach.
Their kidnapping, combined with a wave of violence in the area, has left the local community shocked and terrified.
Eight suspects, including six Ethiopians, are now in custody as part of a mass investigation led by the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The arrests occurred during a multi-agency operation that began immediately following the incident.
The suspects were brought before the Moyale Principal Magistrate’s Court, where they were remanded for 10 days to allow for additional investigations.
Gilbert Masengeli, the acting Inspector General of the National Police, and Mohamed Amin, the DCI Director, have both taken personal responsibility for the situation.
The two police chiefs visited the area to coordinate with local security forces and interact with residents.
The missionaries were kidnapped on the same night as a deadly attack in the area, in which eight people were killed and a truck was torched.
The lorry transporting food supplies from Nairobi to Dukana was ambushed on the Forolle-Turbi Road.
The attackers, believed to be from across the Ethiopian border, opened fire on the vehicle, killing eight passengers and setting it ablaze.
Marsabit Governor Mohamud Mohamed Ali and other local leaders condemned the violence and urged the national government to address the security crisis at the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
The governor expressed deep concern about the increasing frequency of killings, abductions, and property destruction.
He urged the state to take decisive action to avoid further bloodshed.
The situation in Moyale is exacerbated by the complex dynamics at the border.
According to reports, the attackers may have crossed from Ethiopia dressed in jungle uniforms and carrying high-caliber weapons.
This has raised concerns that Ethiopian militias are increasingly involved in these violent incidents, destabilising the region.
On August 1, a police checkpoint in Moyale town was attacked, killing one officer and injuring three others.
The attackers, armed with grenades and assault rifles, also targeted a civilian woman who is thought to be a county government revenue clerk.
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