Security officers in Marsabit County have rescued 59 Ethiopian nationals, among them a four-year-old child, in a multi-agency operation against a suspected human smuggling network operating along the Moyale corridor.

The operation took place on Saturday, 24 October 2026, and was carried out in two stages after police received a tip-off, according to reports by The Star and Capital FM.

Thirty found in Jirime house

Officers first raided a residence in Jirime Location, Marsabit Central Sub-County, where they found 30 Ethiopian nationals: 23 men and seven women.

Acting on further intelligence that more people had been moved from the area, the team followed up about 14 kilometres away towards Shegel, along the Marsabit-North Horr road. There they found another 29 people, made up of 20 men, eight women and a four-year-old child.

The operation brought together officers from the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit based in Moyale, the Kenya Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Administration Police Service.

Suspect in custody

Police arrested a man suspected of harbouring the migrants, reported to be the caretaker of the Jirime residence. He is being held to help with investigations. Police have not said whether he will be charged, or with what offence.

Investigators say they are still working to establish how the group entered Kenya, how long they had been held, where they were headed, and who else is involved in the network. Police have not said where the rescued migrants are being held or whether they will be repatriated.

A familiar route

The Moyale route through northern Kenya has long been used by smugglers moving Ethiopian migrants south, with many hoping to reach South Africa, while others are moved towards the Middle East. Rights groups have repeatedly warned that migrants on the route are often crammed into lorries or hidden in houses for days, exposing them to extortion, abuse and deadly accidents.

The Marsabit rescue follows another operation earlier in the week. On Tuesday, 20 October, police rescued 65 Ethiopian nationals from a house in Mihang'o, on the eastern outskirts of Nairobi, according to The Star.

Kenya's anti-trafficking law treats smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons as serious offences carrying heavy fines and long prison terms. From Friday, 30 October, appeals in organised crime cases, including human trafficking and migrant smuggling, will go to the High Court's new International and Organised Crimes Division established by Chief Justice Martha Koome.

The case also highlights the pressure on Marsabit, a vast and sparsely policed county that borders Ethiopia and sits on the main road corridor from Moyale to Isiolo and Nairobi. Security agencies have in recent years stepped up checks on the highway, but smugglers have increasingly moved groups through settlements off the main road and in smaller batches to avoid detection.

Police have urged residents of border counties to report suspicious movements of foreigners and houses being used to hide migrants.

Photos: Kahawatungu; Kandukuru Nagarjun/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)