NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 05 — The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has petitioned the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged human rights violations during the ongoing multi-agency security operation in Isiolo and Marsabit counties.
In a press statement dated March 4, KNCHR Vice-Chairperson Raymond Nyeris claimed that the operation, dubbed Ondoa Jangili (Eliminate Bandits), which was launched on February 3, 2025, with the aim of flushing out elements of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), has seen police and other security agencies use excessive force, including the fatal shooting of a local.
Nyeris stated that the Commission’s investigation team documented incidents of abductions and enforced disappearances, which it labeled inhumane, citing violations of the Prevention of Torture Act.
Extra judicial killing
According to the Commission’s preliminary report, police on patrol fired at a boda-boda rider and his passenger, Galgalo Abkul Boru, at the Belgesha area on February 23, 2025.
“Galgalo succumbed to his injuries, while the rider escaped with serious injuries to his head and hand,” the report reads.
Abductions and Enforced Disappearances
The state-funded human rights watchdog also highlighted reports of abductions and enforced disappearances involving seven men from three different locations.
One of the abductees, Idris Edin, who was taken on February 22, 2025, is still missing.
“It is reported that a group of armed police officers conducted a raid that involved unlawful detention, physical assault, and intimidation of innocent civilians,” Nyeris said.
The Commission further stated that police in Garbatulla and Isiolo have allegedly refused to record statements from Idris Edin’s family.
Torture and Intimidation
KNCHR also condemned the alleged torture of the Malka Daka Location Chief, a local medic, and two other locals by police officers conducting the operation on the night of February 7, 2025.
The Commission documented a case in which ten locals were rounded up and beaten by security forces on March 3, 2025. Two were in Malka Daka, and the other eight were in the Iress Aboru area.
The KNCHR Vice-Chairperson claimed that several police officers have been reportedly using intimidation tactics, including arresting a five-year-old boy to force the father to surrender to the police.
“These acts of aggression not only violate the sanctity of their home but also instill fear within the community,” the Commission stated.
Additionally, KNCHR revealed reports of property confiscation from locals, including 150 goats and several motorbikes, which they claim is a violation of the right to property.
The Commission said eyewitness accounts revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior inconsistent with the principles of human rights and the rule of law.
“The right to security and safety should not come at the cost of fundamental human rights,” he stressed.
KNCHR called on the National and County Governments, as well as humanitarian organizations, to provide immediate assistance and protection to displaced families, especially those affected by the operations, including psychological support and legal aid.
Additionally, the human rights agency wants the police to declare in court the items collected as exhibits when suspects are arraigned.
“The lack of cooperation from law enforcement agencies is indicative of a systemic failure to uphold the rights of individuals and to protect them from arbitrary detention,” the KNCHR report stated.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said the targeted areas include Sololo, Moyale, North Horr, and Merti sub-counties, which are hideouts used by the Ethiopian rebel group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) to facilitate its cross-border criminal activities.
The operation has since led to the seizure of at least 10 firearms, along with a variety of other illegal items, including ammunition, fake US dollars, and Ethiopian birr.
According to the police spokesman, 14 makeshift camps, believed to be used by criminals, have been destroyed.