A police officer was tragically killed during an ambush in Kulamawe, Isiolo County, as security forces pursued armed traffickers ferrying narcotics across the Kenya–Ethiopia border.
The slain officer, Constable Wilson Ndurya Changawa, 45, was part of a patrol team that had been tipped off about drug traffickers transporting bhang and other contraband across the River Ewaso Nyiro. Acting on intelligence, the team tracked footprints along the riverbanks before coming under sudden heavy fire from a group of gunmen suspected to be Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) members.
The attackers, who were reportedly well-armed and in large numbers, opened fire, fatally wounding Changawa in the neck. His colleagues were forced to retreat under sustained gunfire and evacuate his body to the local mortuary. The gang is believed to have escaped with their cargo, disappearing into the rugged terrain.
The incident highlights the growing threat posed by heavily armed traffickers and militia groups exploiting Isiolo’s porous borders. The region has long faced insecurity fueled by cattle rustling, human smuggling, drug trafficking, armed robbery, and conflict over gold mining sites. Criminal groups have been using Isiolo and surrounding counties as a key transit route for contraband and illegal migrants from Ethiopia into Kenya.
Security operations launched earlier this year have uncovered hideouts linked to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), recovering weapons, ammunition, walkie-talkies, a generator, solar panels, and large quantities of marijuana. Authorities believe the militia leverages close cultural and family ties between the Borana of Kenya and the Oromo of Ethiopia to infiltrate local communities and conceal their activities.
The OLA, an armed opposition faction in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, consists of former fighters of the Oromo Liberation Front who refused to lay down arms after a peace deal, as well as disillusioned youth activists. Kenya and Ethiopia have both accused the group of cross-border crimes that threaten national and regional stability.
Police say most narcotics entering Isiolo originate from southern Ethiopia, particularly Shashamane, before being transported to Kenya through Moyale, Sololo, Dukana, and other entry points. From there, the drugs are distributed to Nairobi and other major urban centers.
The killing of Constable Changawa underscores the high risks faced by law enforcement officers in combating drug trafficking syndicates and militia groups operating in northern Kenya. Security agencies have vowed to intensify operations in Isiolo to dismantle criminal networks and restore peace in the region.
