Life has taken a painful turn for the family of 20-year-old Guracha Hassan Garbole, who is now in a Nanyuki hospital fighting for his life.
The young man, who only completed his secondary school education last year, was shot on the evening of August 31, 2025, at Golole trading centre in Karbururi location, Sololo sub-county.
His family and witnesses claim that the shooting was carried out by Kenya Defence Forces officers under the ongoing Ondoa Jangili security operation.
Accounts from the scene paint a grim picture. Witnesses say the soldiers stormed the trading centre and ordered youths present to surrender.
Amid the chaos, Guracha tried to run for safety, but he was shot. Relatives allege that after the shooting, the officers blindfolded him, bundled him into a vehicle, and drove him to Marsabit.
From there, the soldiers reportedly handed him over to people who introduced themselves as Kenya Red Cross officials.
The story takes a disturbing turn, as the group is said to have abandoned him at Moyale sub-county hospital.
According to the family, the supposed Red Cross officials left Ksh.5,000 on his hospital bed before disappearing without explanation.
KDF officers during a cleaning occasion. Photo Courtesy.
With the facility lacking the necessary drugs and equipment to handle his condition, his family made the difficult decision to transfer him to Nanyuki, where he is now undergoing treatment.
For his family, the ordeal has been unbearable. His father is described by relatives as completely broken, traumatised, and struggling to process the reality of his son’s suffering.
The family says Guracha was an innocent young man whose life is now hanging by a thread because of reckless actions by those meant to provide security.
They are demanding justice and immediate accountability from the officers involved, accusing them of brutality and unlawful conduct against civilians.
The silence from both the Kenya Defence Forces and the Kenya Red Cross has only deepened the family’s frustration, as neither institution has issued a statement regarding the allegations.
This has left them feeling abandoned and hopeless, even as they try to save their son’s life.
The tragedy has also extended beyond Guracha’s family. Another family in the area says they are still searching for their missing relative, identified as Galgallo.
According to his brother, Mustafa Duba, Galgallo was taken away by the soldiers during the same incident that left Guracha shot, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
The community in Sololo is now left shaken, with questions over the conduct of the security operation and fears that innocent people are being targeted.
Families are demanding answers and accountability, hoping that their pain will not be ignored.
