Tuesday May 2, 2023
By Cyrus Ombati
FILE - Kenyan police officers take positions outside Garissa University CollegeFour men who were on Sunday arrested with guns in Garissa county are not terrorists but police reservists working in nearby Wajir county, authorities have said.
The four were carrying four rifles, 19 magazines and 500 bullets.
Police on Monday said they are members of the National Police Reserve based along the Kenya-Somalia border in Wajir county.
A senior officer said they have been helping local police in detecting and fighting al Shabaab militants who cross into Kenya from Somalia.
Officials aware of the developments said the four were arrested after they traveled to Garissa without notifying local security teams.
They were arrested at Nuno in Garissa county. Police said they also recovered balaclavas, a ballistic helmet, a knife, a machete and several mobile phones from the four.
The reservists were in a white Toyota Probox when they were stopped by police.
Officials said they want to establish why the reservists were moving to Garissa without informing the authorities.
It is suspected they were facilitating the movement of contraband goods, an official said.
“We don’t understand why they came to Garissa but their case is being handled,” an insider aware of the matter said.
The arrests came amid heightened security in the region following fears al Shabaab could be planning an attack.
The Northeastern border region has borne the brunt of repeated attacks from the militants.