ODM nominated MP and Garissa Woman Representative aspirant Umulkheir Harun has a word with elders and community members from Nanighi.

Garissa leaders have demanded a swift and independent probe into a suspected unexploded ordnance blast that killed two young siblings in Bura East.

The leaders said the circumstances surrounding the Sunday morning tragedy must be established and those responsible, if any, held accountable.

They spoke to the press outside the Garissa county commissioner’s office following a security meeting attended by senior security officers, local leaders and residents, including close family members of the victims.

They urged security agencies to expedite investigations and provide the bereaved family and the wider community with answers, while calling on residents to remain calm and cooperate with the authorities as investigations continue.

The Sunday tragedy happened when the two siblings—Malyun Ahmed Diriye, 15, and her brother Abdi Ahmed Burale, 16,—reportedly encountered an unidentified metallic object and began striking it with a panga, inadvertently triggering a powerful explosion.

The boy is said to have struck the object, setting off the blast that left the siblings with critical injuries.

The girl was rushed to a nearby military camp for emergency stabilisation but died shortly afterwards. Her brother later succumbed to his injuries as medical personnel attempted to save his life.

They were buried on the same day in accordance with Islamic rites.

Speaking after the meeting, ODM nominated MP and Garissa Woman Representative aspirant Umulkheir Harun commended residents for remaining calm following the tragedy, saying cooperation between the community and security agencies was essential in the pursuit of justice.

She said that, despite the need to establish what happened, the immediate priority should remain supporting the grieving family and ensuring the deaths are thoroughly investigated.

“As leaders, we will work closely with the security team and the community to ensure justice is delivered to the affected families as soon as possible,” Harun said.

She said the meeting had agreed to establish a joint working arrangement to facilitate cooperation between local leaders, residents and security officers as investigations proceed.

“At such a critical moment, it is important that we provide the much-needed support to our police officers and the community, particularly the families who have lost their loved ones,” Harun said.

Nanighi MCA Abdullahi Ibrahim said the family deserves justice and timely answers over the deaths of the two children.

“We want the investigations to be concluded as soon as possible because we are still waiting for answers. We have buried our children, but we want justice to be delivered as soon as possible,” he said.

The MCA said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the community and security agencies to discuss the tragedy and agree on a collaborative approach to the investigations.

Ibrahim thanked the security team for engaging with residents and pledged the community’s support for the process, emphasising that the probe should be conducted impartially and with the affected family's interests at heart.

“Justice must prevail. The investigation must be independent, fair and supportive of the affected families,” he said.

Garissa senatorial aspirant Mohamed Shale said the community was ready to cooperate with investigators, including allowing the bodies to be exhumed for postmortem examinations if authorities determined the procedure was necessary to establish the cause of death.

“We are even prepared to have the bodies exhumed for postmortem examinations, if that becomes necessary. If doing so will help secure justice for our children, the community, and their loved ones, then we are ready to support that process,” Shale said.

He said the community’s priority was to establish the facts surrounding the blast and ensure the investigation was not compromised.

Garissa deputy county commissioner Obel Ojwang said the government had agreed with the community to allow investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“We have agreed to allow investigations to proceed so we can establish the root cause of the incident,” he said.

Ojwang conveyed the government’s condolences to the bereaved family and the Nanighi community, describing the loss of the two children as deeply regrettable.

“We are deeply sorry that we have lost these innocent children. However, investigations will be conducted to establish what really happened,” he said.

Ojwang said the security team and community representatives had agreed to maintain calm, work together and continue consultations as the process unfolds.

The suspected involvement of explosive material has heightened concerns about the danger posed by unidentified metallic objects, particularly in areas where residents may encounter them.

Authorities are expected to establish the nature of the object that detonated and the circumstances under which it came to be in the village.

It is suspected that the weapon was an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) that is believed to have been left behind during a previous security encounter involving suspected al Shabaab militants.

Meanwhile, leaders appealed to residents to avoid handling or striking unfamiliar metallic objects and to report any suspicious items to security agencies for assessment and safe disposal.

Nanighi MCA Abdullahi Ibrahim speaking after the meeting.

Garissa deputy county commissioner Obel Ojwang speaking to the press after the meeting.