MANASE OTSIALO
Thursday August 7, 2025
Wreckage of a police armored vehicle after hitting an IED along the Kiwanja-Yumbis road in Fafi Sub-county, Garissa, on August 5, 2025.
A decision by senior security officers in Garissa to summon all National Police Reservists (NPRs) to the county headquarters for fresh data collection has been blamed for an attack that left at least eight police officers injured.
More than 20 officers from the elite Border Patrol Unit (BPU) narrowly escaped death after their anti-mine vehicle was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Tuesday.
The officers based at Banane Camp were conducting a routine patrol along the Banane-Yumbis road in Fafi Sub-county when the incident occurred, about 10 kilometres from Yumbis.
“Our officers were on routine patrol when one of the vehicles was hit by an explosive. The first two vehicles passed through safely before the last one, which had eight officers on board, was struck,” said Fafi Sub-county Deputy County Commissioner Naftali Koojo.
“The affected vehicle was at the rear of the convoy. It overturned and the officers in the first two vehicles turned back to respond to the situation,” he added.
All eight officers on board were rescued.
When asked about the absence of NPRs in the area, Mr Koojo said the reservists who support security operations are not stationed in one place.
“These NPRs are not static. They move from one area to another, and the Garissa Yarey area, where the incident happened, is not inhabited,” he said.
He also denied knowledge of any directive summoning NPRs to Garissa for data verification.
The government recruits NPRs from local communities in insecure regions to support the efforts of regular security agencies.
“We are working well with our NPRs in addressing insecurity,” Mr Koojo insisted.
All eight injured officers were admitted to Hagadera Hospital but arrangements are underway to transfer them to Nairobi for further treatment.
Senior security officials in Garissa could not be reached for comment on the NPR situation.
Garissa County Police Commander Amos Ambasa said they were in a meeting at the Regional Headquarters.