Authorities in West Pokot County have launched a probe into a suspected human trafficking case after 108 Eritrean nationals, among them 13 children, were discovered abandoned near the Kenya-Uganda border in Lokitonyala on Saturday, July 5.

The group, which includes men, women, and minors, was found stranded in the remote area after being dropped off by unidentified individuals using two buses.

They are currently being held under tight security at Alale Police Station, with plans underway to transfer them to Kapenguria Police Station for further questioning and documentation.

Confirming the incident, Alale Assistant County Commissioner Maurice Ogweno said the Eritreans were ferried from Uganda and left at the border under unclear circumstances.

“We currently have 108 Eritrean nationals in our custody, among them 13 minors. They were abandoned at Lokitonyala after being ferried from Uganda,” said Ogweno.

“We are coordinating with immigration and security agencies to establish how they got here and under what circumstances.”

Preliminary information from the group indicates they fled Eritrea to Ethiopia, where a man allegedly promised to help them reach Nairobi through West Pokot, offering them jobs and safe passage. But the journey changed course in Uganda, where they were reportedly intercepted and later transported to the Kenyan border and dumped.

“They claim a contact in Ethiopia gave them false assurances of employment and asylum in Kenya,” Ogweno explained. “Instead, they were rerouted through Uganda and dumped near Lokitonyala.”

Authorities now suspect that the group may have fallen victim to a larger regional trafficking network operating across the Horn of Africa. Investigators are also looking into how the group was moved so easily across international borders and why they were allowed into Kenya in such a manner.

“We are concerned about the ease with which they were moved across borders and why they were allowed to cross into Kenya in such a manner,” Ogweno added.

The Kenyan government has launched a formal investigation and is working with international migration bodies and Ugandan authorities to determine the migrants' legal status and ensure their safety.