Two Borana elders detained for 10 days over alleged links to OLA militia

Two Borana elders arrested on Saturday during a security operation in Sololo have been detained for ten days as investigations continue.

Appearing before the Kahawa Law Courts on Monday, the two — former Golole chief Dabasa Dambi and community elder Guracha Dambala — were allegedly linked to a militia group identified as the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) based in Ethiopia.

Their arrest sparked mass demonstrations in Sololo Makutano on Monday, where traffic was paralysed along the Moyale–Sololo–Marsabit Highway, with locals demanding their unconditional release.

State prosecutor Harrison Kiarie told the court that the State had received intelligence reports indicating that the two suspects, together with others not before the court, were planning and coordinating an imminent attack on residents of Basir in Eldas Constituency, Wajir County.

Senior Resident Magistrate Mwanamkuu Sudi was informed that the ongoing unrest has already led to casualties, as Marsabit and Wajir counties dispute ownership of Tito land, which is linked to the construction of a multi-agency security installation.

While the State sought 30 days to complete investigations, the court granted only ten days and ordered that the suspects be detained in custody, where they will also receive medical attention.

The case will be mentioned again on Friday, May 22, 2026.

On April 21, 2026, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, through a parliamentary record, ordered a temporary halt to the construction of the security installation at Basir over a boundary dispute between Wajir and Marsabit counties.

According to the CS, the establishment of the multi-agency security centre at Basir was agreed upon following recommendations from his Jukwaa La Usalama forum held in Wajir on September 24, 2024.