A tense atmosphere grips Moyale, Marsabit County, as authorities scramble to secure the release of two South Korean missionaries abducted in a brazen attack on August 12.
The duo, David Lee and his mother-in-law, Hiwi Sokk Cheon, were taken by armed assailants from Odda Mission Secondary School, where they had been actively engaged in community outreach. Their abduction, coupled with a wave of violence in the region, has left the local community in shock and fear.
Eight suspects, including six Ethiopians, are now in custody as part of a wide-ranging investigation led by the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The arrests were made during a multi-agency operation that began immediately after the incident.
The suspects were presented before the Moyale Principal Magistrate’s Court, where they were remanded for 10 days to allow further investigations.
The acting Inspector General of the National Police, Gilbert Masengeli, and DCI Director Mohamed Amin have taken personal charge of the situation, visiting the region to coordinate with local security forces and engage with residents.
The missionaries' abduction occurred on the same night as a deadly attack in the area, where eight people were killed, and a lorry was torched. The lorry, carrying food supplies from Nairobi to Dukana, was ambushed along the Forolle-Turbi Road.
The attackers, suspected to be from across the Ethiopian border, shot at the vehicle, killing eight passengers and setting the vehicle ablaze.
Marsabit Governor Mohamud Mohamed Ali and other local leaders have condemned the violence, calling on the national government to address the security crisis that has gripped the Kenya-Ethiopia border. The governor expressed deep concern over the continuous killings, abductions, and destruction of property, which have become alarmingly frequent. He urged the state to take decisive action to prevent further bloodshed.
The situation in Moyale is further complicated by the complex dynamics at play along the border. Reports suggest that the attackers may have crossed from Ethiopia, dressed in jungle uniforms, and equipped with high-calibre weapons.
This has sparked fears that militias from Ethiopia are increasingly involved in these violent incidents, destabilising the region.
On August 1, a police checkpoint in Moyale town was attacked, resulting in the death of one officer and injuries to three others. The attackers, armed with grenades and assault rifles, also targeted a civilian woman believed to be a county government revenue clerk.
