The quiet border town of Hulugho in Garissa County has been plunged into mourning and fear following a brazen dawn attack by suspected Al-Shabaab militants. In a targeted operation that exposes the porous nature of our border security, the attackers executed a local administrator and a primary school teacher before retreating into the shadows.

Police reports confirm that the militants stormed the home of Boma Location Chief, Abdifatah Mohamud, shooting him at close range. In a chilling act of terror, they then detonated an explosive device on his vehicle, reducing it to a charred wreck—a message to anyone collaborating with the state. Moments later, they targeted Stephen Vundi Musili, a teacher at Hulugho Primary School who had only been employed by the TSC in January 2025.

"He Was Just Teaching Children"

The murder of Stephen Musili has sent shockwaves through the teaching fraternity. "He accepted a posting that many refused," said a colleague, fighting back tears. "He believed in uplifting the Somali child. He didn't carry a gun; he carried chalk. Why kill him?" Musili was dragged from his house and shot a short distance away, a tactic often used by the terror group to intimidate non-local civil servants working in the North East.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli flew to the area this morning to assess the situation. "We are in hot pursuit," Masengeli assured terrified residents. "These cowards targeted unarmed civilians. We have deployed the Special Opertions Group (SOG) and we will hunt them down." However, his words rang hollow to locals who have seen this script play out before: an attack, a high-profile visit, and then silence until the next raid.

• Tactical Shift: Intelligence suggests Al-Shabaab is moving away from mass casualty attacks to targeted assassinations of government symbols (chiefs, teachers, police reservists).
• The Security Gap: Hulugho sits dangerously close to the Boni Forest and the Somali border, making it an easy target for hit-and-run squads.
• Teacher Exodus: The TSC now faces a fresh crisis, with teachers in the region demanding immediate transfers, threatening to cripple education in Garissa.

The Invisible War

The attack is a grim reminder that despite the lull in Nairobi, the war against terror is raging in the periphery. Local elders accuse the government of ignoring intelligence reports of militant movements in the days preceding the attack. "We saw strange motorbikes. We reported. Nothing was done," claimed an elder who sought anonymity.

As the bodies of Chief Abdifatah and Teacher Musili await burial, the people of Hulugho are left with the terrifying realization that they are on the frontline of a war that the rest of the country has chosen to forget.