Despite President William Ruto’s assurances, the government has yet to secure the release of five chiefs who were abducted by suspected terrorists in Elwak, Mandera County in February.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo provided an update on the situation on Wednesday, assuring that significant efforts are underway behind the scenes to bring the chiefs home. However, he declined to disclose specific details about the rescue mission.
Omollo observed that the abduction serves as a stark reminder that security is a shared responsibility. He noted that even government administrators are vulnerable to such threats, underscoring the need for collective vigilance.
“There is a lot of work going on, some of which we may not discuss on air but maybe to understand how security then become everybody’s concern. These are chiefs who work for the government and the ministry responsible for securing the country and they have been taken by terrorists, or what we call Al-Shabaab, and this demonstrates that none of us is immune to some of these insecurity incidents,” the PS said.
Reaffirming President William Ruto’s commitment, Omollo stated that Kenya is actively engaging officials from the neighboring country where the abducted chiefs were taken.
“The President made it clear that he will take all necessary steps to bring back the five chiefs. We are in constant discussions, as they were taken across the border. Unfortunately, borders are just temporary distinctions between countries, and the communities remain the same. Ongoing engagements are in place to ensure their safe return so they can continue serving,” he said.
The abducted chiefs have been identified as Mohammed Adawa, Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Noor, Assistant Chief Ibrahim Gabow, and Senior Chief Abdi Suraw.
During his visit to Mandera last month, President Ruto strongly condemned the abduction, calling it an attempt to intimidate him and prevent his tour of the region. However, he dismissed the threat, vowing to take decisive action against those responsible.
“These fools thought that by doing this, I wouldn’t come here. They are very foolish and mad… We will go after them, we will deal with them, and we will eliminate them,” he declared.
Days later, reports emerged that the al-Shabaab militants responsible for the kidnapping had demanded a ransom of Ksh7 million. The government, however, has not publicly responded to the demand, maintaining its focus on securing the chiefs’ safe return.
