State left us to die, abducted chiefs say after return

Worn out, visibly frail, and carrying the weight of 62 days in captivity, five chiefs abducted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County have finally reunited with their families, but with deep reservations about the way the Kenyan government approached the issue.

Without talking much, the chiefs feel the government neglected them in the hands of the kidnappers who seized them on February 3 as they heading to Elwak from Wargadud to welcome President William Ruto who was touring the county the following day.

However, they are thankful to Kenyan elders who work tireless until they were set free last Sunday, but it has taken almost a week before they arrived in the country safely.

Despite early public declarations from President Ruto condemning the kidnappings and promising action, the chiefs said there was no meaningful effort from state security apparatus to rescue them.

One of the chiefs, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, revealed that ransom negotiations had been left entirely to the Garre community both in Kenya and Somalia.

The delay was attributed to poor weather, bad roads and unreliable mobile network. Despite these hurdles, it was not clear why the government could not authorise a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) chopper to airlift them back home.

The chiefs are Abdi Hassan Suraw of Qurac Mado location, Adawa Abdi Mohamed (Wargadud), Mohamed Hassan Kulmiye (Wargadud East), Mohamed Noor Hache (Dachabole), and Assistant Chief Ibrahim Gabow of Wargadud Sub-location.

A daughter of one of the chiefs was also abducted and was reunited with the family on Saturday. The abductees were held in Jilib region considered to be a stronghold of Al Shabaab insurgents.

Upon arrival in Elwak, the chiefs were welcomed by a mix of emotional family members and security officials.

But their gratitude was directed not to the State but to their clan elders and relatives who they credit with saving their lives.

“I really appreciate my clan elders and family members who facilitated my release. I was in Al-Shabaab captivity for 62 days,” said Adawa.

“Were it not for the Garre community inside Kenya and Somalia, no one would have ever seen us alive. The abductors asked for Sh6 million. My family had to raise Sh1 million to add to the ransom,” he said.

Another chief echoed similar sentiments, pointing out that while the President spoke tough during his visit to Mandera, no direct government intervention was felt on the ground.

The chief's position contradicts Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo's assurances last month that the government was working behind the curtains to ensure that they are safely returned home.

Since their abduction, the Kenyan elders camped in Somalia from where they engaged their Somalia counterparts who engaged the militants who had been demanding a ransom in exchange of their freedom.

President Ruto, while addressing a rally in Mandera on February 4, just a day after the abductions had vowed that the five abducted Mandera chiefs will be brought back home safely.

He condemned the abductions as a desperate act meant to instill fear and assured the nation of the government’s resolve to secure every part of the country.

But for the five administrators, the reality of their rescue tells a different story. The chiefs were held in a remote al-Shabaab-controlled town in Jilib, deep inside Somalia.

Their ordeal began after a coordinated ambush approximately 25 kilometers from the porous Kenya-Somalia border, an area notorious for militant activity.

The militants blindfolded the chiefs and a woman believed to be a relative of one of them, and drove them toward Lafey before crossing into Somalia.

According to the chiefs, after securing the agreement and paying an undisclosed ransom, they were released and handed over to Garre elders inside Somalia. They then began the eight-day journey back home.

Their return was met with jubilation in Elwak town, but also with bitter reflections on what they see as a government unwilling or unable to protect its frontline workers.

The incident reignited debate about security in Northern Kenya, where the proximity to Somalia and persistent militant incursions have left locals dangerously exposed.

Their freedom of the chiefs coming at a time government is mulling over arming chiefs, brings to an end the agony their families have undergone not knowing what would befall their loved one.

While on a tour of the coast, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen indicated that chiefs and their assistants will be armed, especially those whose lives are at risk.

“I don’t see any problem in having our chiefs armed. If civilians can apply and get licenses to be gun holders, why not chiefs?” said Murkomen.