•Unexplained ‘Abductions’ in Isiolo’s Kom Durte Spark Outrage, Fear and Calls for Urgent Action
Isiolo, Kenya| A cloud of fear and uncertainty has engulfed the gold-mining town of Kom Durte in Charri Ward, Isiolo County, following the mysterious disappearance of at least five residents—including three respected elders—who were reportedly picked up by security personnel under murky circumstances.
The incident has triggered widespread alarm among locals, with many accusing local authorities of orchestrating the abductions in violation of legal procedures.
According to eyewitness accounts, the operation took place in broad daylight, involving at least four police vehicles.
Residents say those taken included two middle-aged men and three elderly individuals, all of whom were allegedly rounded up by police officers without being shown arrest warrants or offered any explanation for their detention.
“We are alarmed by what we have witnessed—our elders being taken like criminals,” said Salad, a local resident who watched the operation unfold. “They were bundled into a police vehicle and driven off. No one explained anything, not to the families, not to the community. This is not an arrest—it’s an abduction.”
Witnesses allege that the Merti Officer Commanding Station (OCS) was present during the operation, further intensifying questions surrounding the legality and motive of the arrests. Residents have singled out the area chief as the purported orchestrator of the incident, accusing her of facilitating what they termed as “state-sponsored kidnappings.”
Nearly 24 hours after the incident, families of the missing individuals say they have received no information about the whereabouts or condition of their loved ones, despite making inquiries at both Merti and Isiolo police stations.
The silence from authorities has only deepened community anxiety, sparking fears that the detainees may be subjected to mistreatment—or worse.
“We are in the dark. We don’t know where our husbands, our fathers, are,” lamented one woman whose husband was among those taken. “We have done everything we can to get answers, but we are being stonewalled. This is a gross abuse of human rights.”
Community members, including local businesswoman Mama Dhabo, have strongly condemned the incident, blaming the area chief and calling on political leaders to urgently intervene.
“This administrator has turned our lives into a nightmare. We are not criminals—we are hardworking, taxpaying Kenyans trying to earn a living from the land that is rightfully ours,” she said.
Mama Dhabo warned of dire consequences if the issue is not addressed promptly, urging elected leaders—from the governor to the Member of County Assembly—to take immediate action. “We demand to know the whereabouts and well-being of our elders. If anything happens to them, we hold the area chief personally responsible,” she added.
Efforts to get a comment from Charri Ward MCA Meja Galgalo have reportedly been futile. Sources indicate he was contacted by concerned residents but declined to intervene, citing his absence from the area.
The Kenyan Constitution guarantees all citizens the right to due process, protection from arbitrary detention, and freedom from enforced disappearance—rights that residents say have been blatantly violated in this case.
The incident also comes amid growing concerns about the future of Kom Durte’s gold-mining activities. Unconfirmed reports suggest the site may be on the verge of being sold or leased to a foreign investor, potentially a German entity, that intends to fence off the area.
Such a move would displace the local artisanal miners—many of whom rely on small-scale mining to support their families across Isiolo, Merti, Kinna, and even as far as Moyale and other parts of northern Kenya.
“The fear is that this is a targeted move to drive us out before the land is handed over to investors,” one miner said. “But this land is our lifeline. We have built our lives around this work, and now it feels like we are being hunted for it.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, there has been no official statement from the security agencies or the county government, further fueling suspicions of a deliberate cover-up.
As pressure mounts, residents of Kom Durte are demanding transparency, accountability, and justice.
They are calling for an independent investigation into the incident, immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of the detained individuals, and assurance that their rights—and those of all citizens—will be protected from arbitrary abuse by the state.
This is a developing story.
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