Human rights organisation VOCAL Africa has called for urgent investigations into the Al-Shabaab attack that claimed eight lives along the Mandera-Arabia Road, urging security agencies to track down those behind the deadly ambush while protecting innocent residents from possible human rights abuses.
The attack, which left five road construction engineers, two Kenya Police Reservists (KPRs) and a driver dead, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of workers and security personnel operating in Kenya's border regions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, VOCAL Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid condemned the killings and called on the National Police Service and multi-agency security teams to launch immediate investigations and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The organisation also cautioned the government against subjecting residents of Mandera and other border communities to collective punishment in response to terrorist attacks.
It insisted that security operations targeting suspected militants must be conducted within the law and respect the fundamental rights of residents, warning that previous crackdowns in border areas had exposed innocent people to arbitrary arrests and other abuses.
"Historically, security crackdowns following terror events in border regions have often resulted in arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial abuses against local residents," the organisation said.
VOCAL Africa urged the government to ensure that residents who have no connection to terrorist activities are not targeted or subjected to violations during security operations.
It further called on the Ministry of Interior to urgently assess and improve security arrangements along transport routes near the Kenya-Somalia border, particularly those used by construction workers, contractors and local communities.
The organisation said people living and working in areas exposed to militant attacks deserved adequate protection from security agencies.
"Citizens and workers in high-risk border regions deserve robust security," VOCAL Africa said.
The deadly incident occurred on Tuesday morning at Koromey, near Hagarsu, when armed gunmen ambushed a security convoy escorting workers attached to the Mandera-Arabia-Lafey Road construction project.
Preliminary police reports suggested that the attackers deliberately targeted the security personnel assigned to protect the construction team.
The driver of the security vehicle was among those shot during the attack. He sustained critical injuries and was being transported to Mandera County Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment but died before arriving at the facility.
A senior police officer confirmed the incident, adding that additional security personnel had been deployed to the area to pursue the attackers.
The latest killings have once again drawn attention to the dangers facing infrastructure workers and security officers serving in border counties, where suspected Al-Shabaab militants remain a security threat.
The ambush also comes days after separate attacks targeting security installations in Garissa and Mandera counties, raising further concerns about militant activity in the region.
On November 7, armed men raided Hulugho Police Station and Gesreb Special Operations Group Camp in Garissa County, opening fire at the two security installations before officers managed to repel them. No casualties were reported in the incident.
In another incident in Mandera, security personnel stationed at Damasa Forward Operating Base stopped an attempted attack by six suspected militants who were spotted approaching the camp through a surveillance drone.
VOCAL Africa said the killing of the eight people amounted to a violation of their fundamental right to life, calling for justice for the victims and stronger measures to safeguard civilians and workers operating in the region.
The organisation maintained that the government had a responsibility to strengthen security in vulnerable border areas while ensuring that efforts to combat terrorism did not expose innocent communities to further suffering and rights violations.