Health worker killed, facility raided in Tombura
By Emmanuel Mandella
Tombura County is once again in mourning after a health worker was killed in a deadly ambush and a health facility raided by unknown armed men, underscoring the deepening insecurity in the region.
The County Health Director, Mr. Edward Dazangapai, confirmed the tragic incidents to The City Review on Monday.
Mr. Festo Randiwo, a laboratory technician at Tombura Hospital, was ambushed and killed together with a young man while traveling from Naindi Payam to Tombura Town along the volatile Tombura Mupoi road on Sunday.
Days earlier, the Matakurungu Health Facility, located seven miles from the county headquarters, was broken into by unidentified criminals who stole essential medical equipment, including a mattress and life-saving drugs.
“This is a direct attack on the health system. Festo was a dedicated professional who died while trying to serve his people. We are devastated. The government has deployed forces to retrieve the bodies and are investigating to bring the culprits to justice,” said Mr. Dazangapai.
He said the insecurity has paralyzed communication and supervision between the main hospital and rural health facilities, leaving frontline health workers exposed and unsupported.
“I can’t even access some of the health center’s to assess the situation because the roads are not safe.”
“We are calling on the county and state governments to prioritize the security of health workers,” he added.
These incidents are part of a worrying trend of violence in Tombura County. Just last week, a police officer was gunned down by unknown assailants, and a shop in Tombura main Market was set ablaze. In May, a humanitarian driver working for RDAA and a local passenger were killed while on assignment along the same route.
The county has been facing series of brutal attacks since 2021, when inter-communal conflict broke out in the area that led to armed violence.
Thousands of people were displaced and once peaceful roads turned into deadly traps.
Meanwhile, in 2022, several civilians lost their lives in similar ambushes. In 2023 and 2024, multiple aid vehicles were targeted, further limiting access to basic services for already vulnerable communities living in greater Tombura Counties namely Tombura, Ezo and Nagero.
Community leaders and citizens have repeatedly called for urgent government intervention, warning that the continued insecurity is undermining health service delivery, humanitarian access, and the fragile peace in the area.
“The killing of a health worker is not just a loss to the hospital, but to every patient who depended on him. How long will this go on before authorities act decisively?” asked one Tombura resident.
As tensions rise, the people of Tombura are left with one question: when will peace and safety return to their roads, markets, and clinics?
