Bandits Kill Two Workers on Gotu–Merti Road in Isiolo
Two road construction workers were killed on Saturday afternoon after armed bandits ambushed a team working on the Gotu–Merti road in Isiolo County.
One of the victims, Boru Ibrahim, was the son of road contractor Ibrahim Halakhe. He leaves behind his wife and two children. The second victim, David Opiyo, served as the project engineer and site supervisor.
Isiolo County Police Commander Paul Wambugu condemned the killings, terming the incident very unfortunate and sad, and assured that a security operation is underway to track down the attackers.
According to a security source, the attack occurred near the Ewaso Nyiro River and is believed to be a retaliatory strike. This followed an earlier incident in which suspects from Merti allegedly stole cattle from the Samburu side. Security officers, including game rangers from conservancies under the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), recovered all the stolen animals.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that at least five suspected rustlers were killed during the recovery operation. A 23-year-old suspect was also arrested after sustaining a gunshot wound and was handed over to police at Sereolipi station.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, and more patrols have been mounted along the Gotu–Merti corridor, which has experienced repeated security flare-ups.