Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have launched an investigation following the explosion of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Mandera County.
Addressing the public on Monday evening, DCI officers confirmed that the incident took place earlier that day at an eatery in the Shafshafey area, leaving one person injured.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosion caused significant damage, including the destruction of the hotel's rooftop and visible cracks in the walls.
At the time of the explosion, four customers were inside the eatery. Three of them escaped without injury, while one sustained a fractured left femur and pellet injuries to the abdomen.
The injured male victim was swiftly transported to Mandera Referral Hospital, where he is currently recovering in stable condition after receiving medical treatment.
Preliminary investigations also revealed that two of the individuals who escaped unhurt are believed to be the masterminds behind the attack. They have since been arrested and are in custody as investigations continue.
Detectives have also launched a manhunt for a bodaboda rider who is said to have transported the suspects to the hotel before fleeing the scene immediately after the explosion.
While the main targets of the explosion remain unclear, the incident took place in an area near the Kenya-Somalia border, a region that has historically been known for Al Shabaab attacks.
The attack followed hours after the release of the five chiefs who were recently abducted by the militia group in the Elwak area of Mandera County.
The chiefs, from the administrative units of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole, were aboard a vehicle when they were ambushed and abducted by terrorists, who subsequently took them to Somalia.
Speaking in Mombasa on Monday evening, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that the chiefs had been released and were now in the hands of Kenyan officials.
“We have very good news that our chiefs who were abducted last month in Mandera have been released and are now with Kenyan officials, and they will be back in the country soon,” Murkomen confirmed.
“This is very good news, thanks to collaborative efforts. As a government, we decided to work together with the community and the county government of Mandera. We will comment further once the chiefs are back in the country,” he added.
