15-year-old girl, 16-year-old brother killed in ordinance explosion in Garissa

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 26 – Two siblings aged 15 and 16 have died after an unexploded explosive device detonated while they were herding cattle in Bura East Sub-County, Garissa County.

The incident occurred on Saturday, at approximately midday, leaving the two minors critically injured after they reportedly struck a strange object they had discovered while grazing livestock.

According to a police incident report, the explosion was reported by the Officer Commanding a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Forward Operating Base (FOB) camp in Bura East, who said a loud blast had been heard at around 1200 hours.

The military officer subsequently dispatched a drone to conduct aerial surveillance around the camp but did not immediately identify the source of the explosion.

A team was later deployed to patrol areas surrounding the military installation, where they discovered the two injured children.

The siblings were evacuated to the KDF camp for medical attention as efforts were made to stabilise their condition.

The police report identified the deceased girl as Malyun Ahmed Diriye, 15, and her brother as Abdi Ahmed Burale, 16.

Malyun reportedly told the military team that they had discovered a strange object while herding cattle.

According to her account, her brother began striking the object with a panga out of curiosity, triggering the explosion.

The girl succumbed to her injuries shortly after being evacuated to the military camp.

Her brother also died while medical personnel were attempting to stabilise him.

The two siblings were residents of Guyo Village in Nanighi Location, Bura East Sub-County.

The KDF team suspects that the object could have been a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), which may have been abandoned or used during an earlier attempt by militants to target the military camp.

However, the police report did not confirm the exact type of explosive device involved in the incident.

The circumstances under which the object was left in the area were also not immediately established.

Investigations are expected to establish the origin of the explosive and whether it was linked to previous militant activity around the military installation.

The incident highlights the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance in areas where security operations have been conducted, particularly to children and residents engaging in routine activities such as herding livestock.

Authorities have not issued further details regarding the recovery or disposal of the explosive device.

The deaths of the two siblings have also raised concerns about the risks posed by abandoned explosives to civilians living in security-sensitive areas of northern Kenya.