A quiet afternoon at a water point in Marsabit turned deadly when gunmen shot and killed an 18-year-old boy in what police believe was a targeted attack.
The victim, Dargicho Bagijo, was shot three times twice in the head and once in the chest near the Bandasa watering point, close to the Marsabit-Isiolo border. The attackers, said to be known to locals, fled the scene and have not yet been arrested.
His body was found with personal belongings still intact, ruling out robbery as the motive. Police recovered three bullet casings from the scene, which are now undergoing ballistic testing.
“We are treating this as a murder case. The reasons behind the attack are not yet clear,” said a senior police officer involved in the investigation. “We are pursuing two suspects believed to have fled towards the border.”
The area where the killing occurred has long been a flashpoint for conflict between communities in Marsabit and Isiolo, often centred around scarce resources like grazing land and water. While the motive in Bagijo’s killing has not been officially linked to the ongoing disputes, investigators have not ruled it out.
The body was moved to the local mortuary, pending an autopsy.
Other Killings Reported Across Counties
Elsewhere in Isiolo County, police arrested an 18-year-old man accused of killing his one-month-old niece. The girl was reportedly found dead in their shared home. Police say the motive remains unclear, and investigations are ongoing.
In Meru County, a 55-year-old man, Steve Gitonga, was discovered dead in his home in Maili Tatu, Tigania. He had suffered severe blows to the head, back and hands. Police believe a blunt object was used in the attack, though no arrests have been made.
And in Madogo, Tana River County, Geoffrey Gitonga, 34, succumbed to injuries at Garissa Level Five Hospital after he was assaulted in Mororo village. The reason for the attack remains unknown, but police say they are searching for suspects believed to be from the area.
These separate incidents have reignited concerns about local security, especially in rural parts of Kenya where community disputes, family tensions, and personal vendettas sometimes turn deadly.
