How militant group has fueled banditry in Northern Kenya

Beyond the threat of bandits terrorizing residents, another formidable force has been at play—the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).  

This militant group has been implicated in various criminal activities, including arms and drug trafficking, human smuggling, illegal mining, and cross-border attacks.

The Isiolo-Moyale highway has become a hotspot for authorities combating the smuggling of illicit firearms and narcotics.  

In January this year, law enforcement changed strategy, launching Operation Ondoa Jangili to root out the militia from their hideouts.

Nearly a month into the operation, significant progress has been made. Several Ola-operated camps have been dismantled, and contraband items, including firearms, counterfeit currency in multiple denominations, mobile phones, fake identification documents, and marijuana, have been seized.  

Among the recovered items were media propaganda materials linked to the militia’s underground operations.

The group had established Oromia national media, a propaganda outlet run from a makeshift camp deep in the thickets, known as jarole. This camp was also destroyed, and key members of the militia were arrested.  

Exploiting close cultural and familial ties between the Borana of Kenya and the Oromo of Ethiopia, ola militants infiltrated local communities in Marsabit and Isiolo, using them as cover. Their audacity extended to setting up training camps for recruits and manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs).  

The group's illegal operations have fueled banditry across Isiolo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and Turkana counties. 

To evade law enforcement and maneuver past numerous security checkpoints along major highways, the militants expanded their presence into parts of Merti sub-county.  

In an attempt to escape the police dragnet along the Isiolo-Moyale highway, the operatives sought to carve out a route through this corridor.

However, their plan was swiftly thwarted as the authorities neutralized their efforts the moment they attempted to set up.

An operation by a special NPS team, launched from Kalama camp in Samburu, struck a decisive blow against the militants in the larger Isiolo region.

Simultaneous attacks were carried out on multiple camps, leading to the destruction of over 12 militia hideouts across Marsabit and Isiolo. As the crackdown continues, local communities are beginning to experience a return to normalcy.