Transport along the Sololo-Moyale highway came to a halt on Sunday morning as young residents blocked sections of the road at Sololo junction using stones and burning tires, demonstrating against what they claim was the abduction of two community elders.
Visual evidence showed numerous residents obstructing the highway in protest, with a large fire from the burning tires creating significant smoke.
Motorists found themselves trapped on the road unable to pass the barricaded area, resulting in severe traffic congestion.
Eyewitnesses reported that protesters are calling for immediate action from security authorities and the safe return of the missing elders.
The two individuals, described by protesters as former village chiefs who currently serve as elders, were reportedly taken by masked unidentified persons.
Traffic remained at a standstill for several hours as tensions escalated in the region, leaving travelers and transport operators stranded along this vital Moyale-connected highway.
Demonstrators criticized security agencies for not addressing what they described as increasing abduction incidents in the area.
According to the protesters, one individual was seized from his residence on Saturday, May 9, while the other was abducted en route to Nairobi, forcibly placed into an unregistered vehicle and then driven away. The current location of both men remains unknown.
Some residents raised concerns about boundary and administrative disputes affecting portions of Marsabit County, noting that authorities had not made public statements on these matters by the time of reporting.
Former Senior Chiefs were abducted by armed masked individuals believed to be National Police Service agents,” the protesters claimed.
They were detained for opposing what they called injustices by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration regarding the allocation of parts of Marsabit County’s Moyale Constituency to Wajir County through the gazetting of Boranaland as Wajir County, Eldas constituency, Basir and Tituu locations,” they explained.
The demonstrators urged the National Police Service and the Ministry of Interior to reveal the current location of the two elderly men and guarantee community safety.