Kenyan security forces have launched a major crackdown on an Ethiopian militia responsible for smuggling drugs, weapons, and illegal migrants into the country. The operation, spearheaded by the National Police Service’s elite Special Operations Group, has uncovered and dismantled key militia camps in Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River, and Lamu counties.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an insurgent group with bases on Kenyan soil, had been secretly running parallel governments in these areas. Intelligence reports indicate that the militia exploited its ethnic ties with local communities to establish control over socioeconomic activities, smuggling operations, and even a self-sustaining military unit.
In a significant victory for law enforcement, the operation has resulted in the recovery of 3.5 million Ethiopian Biir and $200,000 in counterfeit currency, 20 tonnes of cannabis, and a cache of firearms and ammunition. Also confiscated were essential supplies, including a water bowser, solar panels, power generators, and vehicles used in smuggling activities.
Authorities destroyed suspected heroin and cocaine found at the sites, setting the substances ablaze on location. This decisive action is expected to disrupt the narcotics supply chain, with intelligence reports already indicating a surge in the black market price of bhang in Nairobi to over Ksh 40,000 per kilogram.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has vowed to eliminate the militia’s presence from Kenyan soil using lethal force if necessary. He emphasized that the crackdown aims not only to neutralize OLA’s operational capabilities but also to cut off its revenue streams from drug and human trafficking.
The police operation has so far dismantled multiple camps, including Adadi Odada medical makeshift camp, Ambalo training camp, Jirole media camp, and Funanyatta Dimaado camp, which housed large quantities of narcotics. During these raids, security forces apprehended 25 fighters and 39 illegal aliens, who are now in custody.
According to Special Operations Group commander Pharez Emitundo, the militia’s influence has been significantly weakened. However, some leaders managed to escape with injuries, and security agencies remain in pursuit. “It is a matter of when, not if, before we get them,” Emitundo stated.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has previously warned that East Africa, and Kenya in particular, is vulnerable to international drug trafficking syndicates due to ineffective border controls. This latest crackdown underscores the Kenyan government’s commitment to securing its borders and eliminating transnational criminal networks.
