4 Suspects Arrested Over Allegations of Killing Kenyan Fishermen
Ethiopian security forces have arrested four suspects linked to the brutal murder of four Kenyan fishermen in Todonyang, Turkana County, near Lake Turkana.
The arrests were made on Friday evening during a joint security operation between Ethiopian Dassanech District officers and their Kenyan counterparts along the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Authorities also recovered a firearm from one of the suspects during the operation.
According to reports, Ethiopian police had earlier detained the suspects’ parents to pressure them into surrendering—a strategy that ultimately led to their capture.
In images and footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, Ethiopian officers are seen escorting the suspects by boat. Security has been intensified in the region as investigations continue. The motive behind the killings is still under investigation.
The four fishermen were allegedly attacked around 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 15, while preparing to cast their nets into Lake Turkana. Their bodies were discovered later that morning, lying by the lakeshore.
Turkana Deputy County Commissioner George Orina confirmed the incident, stating that law enforcement and local administrators had responded swiftly to the reports.
A local administrator near Todonyang said he heard gunshots around the same time, which he believed came from the direction of the lake.
This is not the first time the region has witnessed deadly cross-border violence. On February 23, 2025, a similar incident claimed the lives of 20 Kenyan fishermen. That attack, believed to have been carried out by heavily armed Ethiopian militia, was allegedly in retaliation for the earlier killing of three Ethiopian fishermen by suspected Turkana bandits.
Survivors from that February attack said the assailants seized fishing gear and boats before fleeing back across the border into Ethiopia.
The recent arrests mark a step forward in cross-border cooperation between Kenyan and Ethiopian authorities, who have often faced challenges in managing insecurity in the remote Todonyang corridor.
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4 Suspects Arrested Over Allegations of Killing Kenyan Fishermen