Isiolo County is reeling from shock and fear following the killing of a herder and severe injuries inflicted on a bodaboda rider in Belgesh, a small township a few kilometers from Gafarsa in Isiolo South Constituency.
The incident, which took place on February 23, 2025, has sparked widespread outrage among residents, who accuse Kenyan security forces of using excessive force in their ongoing security operation, “Operation Ondoa Jangili.”
A Deadly Encounter
The victim, identified as Galgalo Abkul Boru, was reportedly traveling on a motorcycle with a bodaboda rider when they encountered security officers on patrol.
Witnesses say the officers sprayed bullets at the duo, instantly killing Boru, while the rider sustained serious head and hand injuries.
However, conflicting reports from locals suggest that what transpired was even more disturbing.
Some witnesses claim they heard a loud explosion—so intense that it was heard several kilometers away—followed by heavy gunfire.
These accounts raise suspicions that the officers may have used heavy weaponry such as mortars or rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
The nature of the injuries has only fueled speculation. Witnesses say the severely mutilated body of the deceased bore wounds that were unlike those caused by ordinary bullets.
The bodaboda rider, who miraculously survived, has since had one of his arms amputated due to the severity of his wounds.
Locals Question Brutality
Eyewitnesses and human rights activists are now questioning why the officers employed such disproportionate force against unarmed civilians.
According to residents, neither Boru nor the rider were armed or engaged in any criminal activities at the time of the attack.
Locals say they are now living in constant fear of security forces, who have allegedly been violating human rights with impunity.
They accuse the government of indiscriminately targeting civilians under the pretext of hunting down members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)—an armed group accused by authorities of drug trafficking and kidnappings in the region.
However, residents insist they have never witnessed any such activities in their communities.
A Region Under Siege
Communities in Garbatulla, Sericho, Cherab, and Charri wards have raised concerns over the conduct of security forces, claiming that the operation has turned the region into a war zone.
Many compare their situation to that of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, where human rights violations by Israeli forces have been widely condemned.
Adding to their woes are widespread allegations of theft by security personnel. Reports indicate that officers have stolen over 150 shoats (sheep and goats) and several motorbikes.
In one particularly harrowing incident in Bulesa, a recently postpartum woman was reportedly battered and humiliated by security officers.
Witnesses say she was publicly forced to roll on the ground after refusing to disclose her estranged husband’s whereabouts.
After assaulting her, the officers allegedly looted her home, taking away her door, television, mattresses, cooking pots, and other valuables, leaving her destitute. Locals later stepped in to assist her.
A Silenced Crisis?
Despite numerous calls for intervention, no local leader has publicly condemned the security operation. Residents believe the issue is being deliberately covered up, with mainstream media houses refusing to report on the violations.
Instead, they claim that national news outlets only air government narratives that paint the operation as a resounding success—accounts that locals strongly dispute.
Even local vernacular stations, Angaaf Radio and Nagaa Radio, have allegedly ignored community pleas to report on the atrocities. A local teacher, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said:
“It all sounds like a deep conspiracy. I never imagined that such security operations could be this intense, and that rights explicitly protected by our new constitution could be violated with such impunity.”
The teacher, who claims he was assaulted by security officers while taking an evening stroll, added:
“They are treating us as if we are not Kenyans. It is like we do not deserve the protection of the law in our own country.”
Echoes of a Dark Past
For many in Isiolo, the ongoing operation evokes painful memories of the Shifta War (1963-1967), when Kenyan security forces committed mass atrocities against ethnic Somalis under the pretense of fighting banditry.
The war, which saw entire communities displaced or killed, is remembered locally as “D’aaba”—a term now being used to describe “Operation Ondoa Jangili.”
“This is the worst mistake of President William Ruto,” the teacher remarked bitterly. “We had so much hope in his leadership, but now people are beginning to question their very nationality.”
Calls for Justice
Despite their grievances being ignored by local leaders, the family of Galgalo Abkul Boru remains hopeful that justice will be served.
They are now calling on human rights organizations and independent media to amplify their voices and hold the government accountable.
For now, the people of Isiolo County remain trapped in an unrelenting wave of state violence, uncertain of when—or if—their suffering will end.
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