Garissa IED Blast Injures Eight Police Officers, NPR Withdrawal Questioned

GOOBJOOG NEWS | GARISSA: At least eight police officers were injured in northeast Kenya after their patrol vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) in Garissa County, raising questions over a decision to withdraw National Police Reservists (NPRs) from the area.

The attack occurred near Banane-Yumbis road in Fafi Sub-county, about 10 kilometres from Yumbis, as a Border Patrol Unit (BPU) convoy was conducting a routine patrol. Officials say the convoy’s last vehicle, carrying eight officers, struck the device and overturned.

“All eight officers were rescued and are currently receiving treatment,” said Fafi Deputy County Commissioner Naftali Koojo. He confirmed that the first two vehicles in the convoy passed safely before the rear vehicle was hit.

The injured officers were initially treated at Hagadera Hospital, with plans underway to transfer them to Nairobi for specialized care.

The incident has intensified scrutiny over a reported order for all NPRs to report to Garissa for fresh data registration, a move critics say left certain areas exposed. However, Mr Koojo denied knowledge of any such directive.

“NPRs are not stationed permanently. They move depending on need, and the area where the incident occurred is largely uninhabited,” he said.

Kenya deploys NPRs, recruited from local communities, to supplement regular forces in volatile regions. Their absence in Fafi at the time of the attack has raised concern among residents and security observers.

Garissa County Police Commander Amos Ambasa declined to comment, saying senior officers were in a meeting at the regional headquarters.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the region has previously seen similar assaults blamed on the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, which operates across the nearby border.