Ugandan police 8 March briefly arrested two Kenyan Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission officials on disputed Migingo Island in Lake Victoria; Ugandan police 12 March assaulted two local Kenyan officials. Communal violence continued including: Pokot and Marakwet communities clashed 22-24 March in Elegeyo-Marakwet county, at least four killed, dozens of livestock taken; Aulihan and Abudwak communities 25-27 March clashed in Garissa county, at least one killed; Degodia community 26 March attacked Gabra herders in Marsabit county, two killed; Gabra 29 March killed three Degodia.

Somalia PM Sharmarke briefly detained 20 Feb at Nairobi airport for security protocol breach; Somali govt demanded apology. Gunmen 21 Feb attacked police facility in Hindi, Lamu county; no casualties reported. Communal violence included: Illchamus community raiders 4 Feb attacked Tugen (Kalenjin) herders in Baringo county, three killed, hundreds of livestock taken; cattle raiders 5 Feb killed at least six in Samburu county. Govt 21 Feb started talks with Ethiopia and South Sudan on disputed border demarcation.

Communal violence over cattle theft and grazing grounds continued from late Dec; five reported killed 7 Jan in clashes near border of Kisumu and Nandi counties; three killed 23 Jan near border of Isiolo and Laikipia counties. Police 20 Jan killed four suspected Al-Shabaab militants, recovered weapons and ammunition in Malindi town, Kilifi county. Suspected Al-Shabaab 27 Jan killed six police officers in eastern Lamu county with remote-controlled IED; 31 Jan killed three civilians in Pandanguo village, Lamu county.

Al-Shabaab militants continued to target  Kenyan security forces in Mandera and Lamu counties with at least seven attacks and ten fatalities reported in Dec including two police officers killed 27 Dec in ambush on vehicles in Lamu; two killed and three wounded 21 Dec in attack on bus and lorry between Kotulo and Elwak. At least two killed, ten injured and hundreds displaced during 23-28 Dec intercommunal violence in Narok county; govt deployed security forces to area. President Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto 15 Dec announced plan for new permanent coalition “Jubilee Party”. Electoral commission 21 Dec threatened boycott of elections over inadequate funding.

Army deployed to border in Sololo after three police reportedly killed 20 Nov by Ethiopian soldiers in Marsabit county; Ethiopians reportedly crossed border in pursuit of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) rebels, abducted over 20 Kenyan civilians suspected of OLF links (see Ethiopia). Al-Shabaab attacks continued: IED exploded in Mandera 20 Nov targeting policemen, no casualties; another exploded 23 Nov in Garissa county, five soldiers injured. Security forces 20 Nov announced destruction of six Al-Shabaab camps in Boni forest, recovered weapons, no casualties reported. Group of Al-Shabaab militants 27 Nov attacked Konton Village, Wajir county, along Somali border, preached to residents before retreating. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga 7 Nov warned of potential for post-election violence in 2017 amid increased cases of hate speech by politicians.

Teacher kidnapped 16 Oct by gunmen in Hagardera refugee camp, rescued in Somalia in joint security operation between Kenyan Administration Police and neighbouring Jubaland Interim Administration. Communal violence re-erupted in NE: several killed in clashes between Garre and Dagodia clans along border between Wajir and Mandera counties; Ajuraan and Dagodia clans in Wajir clashed late Oct, at least four killed; incidents of intercommunal violence 14-27 Oct in Meru and Isiolo counties left at least eight dead, large numbers of livestock stolen; Turkana and Pokot communities clashed late Oct in Turkana county, at least seven killed, over 300 livestock stolen.

Security operation “Operation Linda Boni” launched 11 Sept to dislodge Al-Shabaab and affiliated militants from coastal forest enclave of Boni, Lamu county; operation expected to last three months. Kenya National Commission on Human Rights 15 Sept released report detailing alleged rights abused during govt’s counterterrorism campaign including extrajudicial killings and disappearances.

Renewed clashes 4 Aug between Wardei pastoralists and Giriama farmers over grazing land along border between Tana River and Kilifi counties: three killed, some 150 families displaced. Some 100 Al-Shabaab fighters 15 Aug temporarily occupied Basuba village, Lamu county, held meeting with some 300 villagers before retreating to bases in Boni forest. Interior ministry 23 Aug said two terror suspects arrested in Garissa town.

Al-Shabaab attacks continued throughout month including several IED attacks in Lamu county and 6 July attack on quarry worker residences in Soko Mbuzi, Mandera county, that left fourteen dead and ten injured. Al-Shabaab militants 17 July occupied Kiunga Milimani, Lamu, for several hours; 7 July ambushed bus convoy in Milihoi. Senior intelligence officer shot dead in Mombasa 2 July by suspected radical groups. Inter-clan disputes over boundaries continued in NE: two killed 22 July in clashes in Wayama Jibril, Garissa county; two Ajuran clan men killed 21 July in attack by group from Dagodia clan amid administrative disputes between Eldas and Wajir North constituencies in Basir, Wajir county. Intercommunal livestock raids also continued in north: Pokot raiders 6, 14 and 20 July attacked Turkana homesteads in Katila, Turkana county: two killed, four injured, at least 2,150 livestock seized. Attempted livestock raid by Samburu men on Turkana herders in Marti area, Baragoi, Samburu county, repelled 25 July; four injured in gunfire exchange.

Al-Shabaab late May and early June briefly seized several villages and mosques in remote locations in Mandara, Garissa and Lamu counties. Al-Shabaab attacks continued throughout month: 14 June attacked army post in Baure, Lamu county; at least two soldiers and eleven militants killed including senior Al-Shabaab commander and a British fighter. Suspected Al-Shabaab operatives 20 June killed Eyrib chief in Wajir town. Military convoys hit by IEDs in Ijara Garissa county and Baure Lamu county 13, 21 June, one officer injured. Five charged 8 June for involvement in April Al-Shabaab attack on Garissa university that left 148 dead. Two Tanzanians arrested 27 June in Migori on charges of recruiting for Al-Shabaab. Govt 27 June lifted curfew, imposed April, in NE and parts of coast; 24 June permitted thirteen Somali remittance companies to resume operations after licences suspended in April. Clan fighting re-erupted in Mandera county, some twenty killed.