Mandera shuts quarries following abduction of two non-local workers
The two, Martin Musyoki and John Kambua, remain missing after they were seized on Wednesday by four armed attackers believed to be Al Shabaab militants.
Mandera County has suspended all quarry operations indefinitely following the abduction of two non-local workers by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Shimbir Fatuma area, a move aimed at safeguarding lives as authorities race to locate the missing men.
The two, Martin Musyoki and John Kambua, remain missing after they were seized on Wednesday by four armed attackers believed to be Al-Shabaab militants. The incident occurred in Shimbir Fatuma village, Mandera Central Sub-County.
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The two were among six loaders aboard a truck that was heading to Chachabole quarry, which is owned by Ibrahim Edinow Maalim. The vehicle, reportedly driven by Sadiqow Muqtar Gedi and carrying eight occupants in total, was ambushed by the militants around 11 a.m.
According to officials, the gunmen stopped the truck and separated its occupants. Musyoki and Kambua, who hail from Nyeri and Sagana, respectively, were singled out and abducted, while the others fled into a nearby thicket. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Mandera County Commissioner Henry Ochako confirmed the closure of all quarry sites following the incident. County Criminal Investigations Officer Pius Gitari added that efforts were underway to trace the missing men.
The Mandera County Security Committee ordered the shutdown of all quarry operations until new security arrangements are put in place. Quarry owners will be required to guarantee the safety of their workers, both on-site and at their residences, before resuming business.
The abduction came just days after authorities arrested three individuals linked to the illegal trafficking of ammunition from Somalia into Kenya. Among them was Abdihakim Muhumed Mahamed, alias Bench, and 32-year-old Abdi Olow Abdi, alias Abei. They were allegedly involved in purchasing and distributing smuggled bullets within the country.
Police say the arrests were made following a lead from a suspect nabbed at Bulla Hawa, near the Kenya-Somalia border. He was found with bullets hidden inside a 20-litre jerrican and reportedly intended to deliver them to Muhumed and Olow. The suspects’ mobile phones have been handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) for forensic analysis.
Authorities are now pursuing another key suspect believed to be operating in Nairobi, where part of the smuggled ammunition is said to be supplied.
Officers say the three are part of a wider network responsible for distributing illegal arms in Kenya.
“Some of the bullets are used for carrying out attacks in quarries as well as fanning tribal conflicts in the region,” Gitati said.
In the past, Al Shabaab militants have routinely targeted quarry workers, especially non-locals, often killing or abducting them in coordinated attacks.
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