Donkey-Cart Bomb Kills Police Officer at Kenya–Somalia Border Post
MANDERA, Kenya — January 18, 2024
A police officer was killed and four others were critically injured on Thursday after an explosive-laden donkey cart detonated at a checkpoint along the Kenya–Somalia border in Mandera County.
Security officials confirmed that the cart, pulled by two donkeys and driven by a single rider, crossed from the Somali side near Bula Hawa before being stopped for inspection on the Kenyan side. Moments after officers approached the cart, the rider jumped off and fled back toward Somalia. The device exploded shortly after, igniting a large fire at the border post.
Authorities in Somalia have reportedly detained the man who fled, and Kenyan security teams are in discussions with counterparts in Bula Hawa to have him transferred for investigation.
No group has claimed responsibility. However, security analysts say suspicion points to the Somalia-based militant organization Al-Shabab, which has repeatedly targeted Kenyan security personnel in retaliation for Kenya’s military presence in Somalia since 2011.
The attack follows several recent incidents in Mandera County. Earlier in the week, five police officers were wounded when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Lafey, an area that has seen frequent militant activity.
Kenyan forces remain part of the African Union mission supporting Somalia’s government as it works to reclaim territory from Al-Shabab. Despite a gradual drawdown of AU troops, cross-border attacks continue to pose a threat to communities and security personnel in northeastern Kenya.