Dadaab – A food distribution event meant to mark Idd Ul Adha turned chaotic in Dadaab’s Ifo refugee camp on Saturday, leaving four refugees with bullet wounds after police opened fire to control a surging crowd.
The event, held in Garissa County, was meant to provide food relief to residents of the sprawling refugee settlement. But things quickly spiralled out of control.
Police say around 700 people had gathered at the distribution centre when tensions rose. According to officers at the scene, the crowd became aggressive and threatened to push past barriers.
“People were shoving, shouting, and pushing forward. It was turning into a stampede,” said a police officer who requested anonymity because he’s not authorised to speak to the media. “We had to act to protect the distribution team and ourselves.”
That “action” involved the use of live bullets. Four refugees were hit—one in the chest, another in the back, and two others in the hands, police confirmed.
All four were initially treated at the Ifo Red Cross Hospital before being transferred to the Garissa County Referral Hospital. Their condition has not yet been officially released.
The incident is now under investigation. Police have not said whether any officers have been suspended or disarmed during the probe.
Dadaab, one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, is home to over 200,000 people, many of whom rely on aid for daily survival. The region has seen rising frustration as resources become stretched and tensions grow between aid agencies, refugees, and security forces.
Elsewhere in Kenya, another shooting incident unfolded on the same day in Marmanet, Nyahururu.
According to police, a man being arrested allegedly grabbed a Beretta pistol from an officer and fired two shots before being subdued. The suspect was hit in the left hand and knee and is currently hospitalised in serious condition.
Investigators have launched inquiries into both incidents. “We’ll question the officer whose weapon was taken, and we’ll also interview the suspect once he’s stable,” said a senior officer in Nyahururu.
Rights groups have long raised concerns over how security forces handle vulnerable populations in high-pressure situations. Saturday’s events may renew those calls for reform and accountability.
As one local aid worker in Dadaab put it: “We’re supposed to be giving food, not witnessing bloodshed.”
