Two people were killed in a shootout between police and illegal immigrants on the night of November 9 in the Yamicha area of Isiolo.
Police, who were on patrol, met the gun-wielding individuals escorting the foreigners on motorcycles.
They were said to have opened fire on the officers' vehicle leading to a fierce shootout that lasted for an hour.
"Officers on mobile patrol found some motorcycles coming from the front, and immediately, the armed militia started firing at the police vehicle.
"They managed to disembark and respond, engaging in a fierce shootout, forcing other criminals to escape on motorcycles," read the police report.
Following a search by the cops, a total of 30 male illegal immigrants of Ethiopian origin aged between 18 and 28 years were smoked out of a thicket and arrested.
No police officer was injured in the incident. However, cops recovered illegal firearms, an empty magazine, 16 spent cartridges, a military poach, a phone, and a motorcycle license plate.
In March 2022, Kenyan authorities released 139 Ethiopians detained for illegally entering the country.
Former Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya, Meles Alem Tekea, announced that the Ethiopians were repatriated following a pardon by the government.
Preliminary reports indicated that most of the immigrants arrested in the country are usually on job-seeking missions. Others are always in transit to other African countries.
Ethiopian and Kenyan governments heightened security along the borders to curb the trafficking of immigrants.
