Five Chiefs kidnapped by Shabaab ahead of Ruto visit

Five chiefs were kidnapped yesterday morning by armed men believed to be Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County, where President William Ruto is set to begin his tour today.

The militants hijacked a government vehicle in the Iresuki area that was transporting the chiefs to Elwak Town, according to authorities.

Such incidents are common in the county, where Al-Shabaab has frequently targeted security agents, resulting in the loss of lives and property.

 

The chiefs were en route to a meeting at the Mandera South Sub-County offices with Deputy County Commissioner Tobias Otunga. Sources say the meeting was in preparation for President Ruto’s visit to Mandera and the broader North Eastern region.

President Ruto is scheduled to begin a week-long tour of the region.

Accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, he is expected to visit Mandera, Garissa, and Wajir counties, where he will assess ongoing projects and hold meetings with local leaders.

As of last evening, the whereabouts of the administrators remained unknown, as a multi-agency security team, led by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), was deployed to locate them.

The 8:30am attack sent shockwaves through the area, with Otunga stating that authorities were seeking assistance from Somalia’s security forces, as the kidnappers are believed to have crossed into Somalia with the chiefs.

Over the past nine years, several chiefs and assistant chiefs have been killed by Al-Shabaab militants. At least six chiefs and assistant chiefs have been killed since 2016.

This incident comes just days after the launch of the National Government Administration Police Unit (NGAPU) in Kwale County. The new unit designed to assist chiefs in their roles.

The Ministry of Interior announced that NGAPU would operate under the Administration Police Service (APS).

The government said the establishment of the new unit aims to address policing gaps, particularly in rural areas, by enhancing the capacity of National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), including chiefs at the location level.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said that 6,000 police officers have already been deployed to the unit.

“NGAPU will equip NGAOs with the security resources needed to facilitate the delivery of government services, enhance public safety, and strengthen multi-agency collaboration,” said Murkomen.

Yesterday, Mandera South Deputy County Commissioner Otunga confirmed that the search for the missing chiefs was ongoing.

“The search for the five chiefs is still on as we are trying to reach out to security officials along the Somalia border to help us trace them,” Otunga said over the phone.

According to a police report seen by The Standard, the vehicle was intercepted about 23 kilometers north of Elwak Town.

The chiefs from the Wargadud Division were blindfolded before being driven towards the Somalia border.

“All the chiefs were blindfolded, and the militants took control of the vehicle, driving it towards Lafey and the Somalia border,” the report read.

Four of the abductees are senior chiefs, while one is an assistant chief. The chiefs were identified as Mohamed Adawa of Wargadud Town location, Mohamed Hassan of Wargadud East, Abdi Hassan of Quramadow, Mohamed Noor Hache, and Assistant Chief Ibrahim Gabow.

In a phone conversation with The Standard, Elwak MP Abdiwahab Kore demanded the immediate release of the chiefs by their kidnappers.

“We cannot accept our chiefs being abducted from their own land. We appeal to both governments to fast-track the process of rescuing our chiefs,” Kore said.

In the past, several chiefs in Lafey Sub-County have been killed by Al-Shabaab militants, who view the administrators as informants. Similar attacks have occurred in Wajir, Lamu, and Garissa counties.