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The search and rescue efforts for the missing Kenyans following a cross-border assault in Todonyang, Turkana County, have been significantly enhanced.
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This comes after the Kenya Red Cross deployed a fiber motorboat and divers to support the operation, which had previously been hindered by insufficient resources and security issues in the Ethiopian region.
Turkana County Red Cross Chairperson Paul Jelinga stated that this deployment will strengthen the search efforts.
“We are now better equipped to access areas that were previously unreachable,” he remarked.
There were concerns that the Red Cross team had been collaborating with local authorities and security forces in the area.
Only two bodies have been recovered so far after the attack, which was carried out by suspected militia from Ethiopia’s Dassanech community at the Lotiira and Lopeimukat villages along Lake Turkana.
This followed what Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen described as a retaliatory act after a rogue Kenyan killed three Ethiopian citizens.
More than 20 Kenyans are reported to still be missing.
A reporting desk established at the Todonyang GSU camp on February 23 has received over 30 cases to date.
Some reports suggest that several of the missing individuals may be in the water.
As the search continues, there are reports that Ethiopian authorities have access to the area where the incident took place.
On February 26, Murkomen announced that diplomatic discussions between the two nations had granted Kenyan teams access to the Ethiopian side of the border to search for those still unaccounted for.
Turkana North MP Ekwom Nabuin claimed that Ethiopian authorities had sent military forces to the area, which he believes is obstructing the search efforts.
“Ethiopian Special Forces blocked us from reaching the Kenyans who are thought to be alive and hiding in the lake’s reeds,” said Ekwom.
He added that the soldiers had taken control of the attack site, restricting access, which led to their inability to locate the missing people or recover additional bodies.
“We strongly believe that some Kenyans are still alive and hiding, but we couldn’t reach them due to these restrictions. This raises concerns that if they are found, they might be executed.”
