Father, son killed in blast while dismantling grenade at home in northern Kenya

By Andrew Wasike

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - A father and his son were killed Wednesday when a grenade exploded inside their house in the Karare area of Marsabit County, about 422 kilometers (262 miles) north of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

Marsabit County police chief Leonard Kimaiyo said the victims were trying to dismantle the device when it exploded, destroying part of the house.

He said officers have secured the site and launched investigations into how the explosive ended up in a residential area.

Police have urged residents to report suspicious objects to authorities instead of attempting to handle or dismantle them.

Similar incidents are not uncommon in the northern Kenya region, where unexploded ordnance from past conflicts has occasionally been discovered.

A child in Isiolo County near Marsabit was killed in 2021 after picking up a live mortar shell, and a similar explosion injured herders in Samburu the following year. Both cases have been traced to remnants of old security operations and cross-border clashes.

In April 2025, police in Marsabit’s Hellu Ward recovered 23 live 81 mm mortar bombs unearthed by treasure-seekers in Moyale sub-county.

Local leaders have called for heightened patrols and civic education programs, warning that porous borders and past insecurity in northern Kenya continue to expose communities to leftover munitions and illegal arms.