Monday April 7, 2025
NAIROBI, Kenya (HOL) — Five Kenyan chiefs abducted in February by suspected al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County have been released after two months in captivity, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen announced Monday.
The officials, appointed by the government to serve in various administrative units in northeastern Kenya, were seized while travelling from Wargadud to Elwak for a security planning meeting ahead of President William Ruto’s visit. Their vehicle was intercepted between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki in Mandera South, near the porous Kenya-Somalia border.
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“They will be arriving home any time soon,” Murkomen told reporters, noting that the release followed coordinated efforts between national authorities, the Mandera county government, and local community elders. He declined to confirm whether al-Shabaab was directly responsible, though local administrators and residents have blamed the Somalia-based group.Local media reports indicated the chiefs were taken across the border into Somalia, where they were held for the duration of their captivity. The release reportedly came after successful negotiations between local elders and the militants, though the terms were not disclosed.
President Ruto addressed the abduction during a visit to Mandera on February 4, promising swift action and directing security agencies to prioritize the rescue operation. “We will deal with the terrorists,” he said during a speech at Moi Stadium. “That is why I brought the Deputy Inspector General of Police here to ensure this issue is addressed immediately.”
The release comes on the heels of heightened security concerns in Kenya’s northeastern frontier, where al-Shabaab has escalated attacks in recent months. On Saturday, suspected militants ambushed a General Service Unit (GSU) camp in the Basuba area of Boni Forest, launching two rocket-propelled grenades. Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and GSU personnel responded with a manhunt for the attackers.
Kenya has long struggled with cross-border incursions by al-Shabaab, which seeks to overthrow Somalia’s government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law. The group frequently targets Kenyan security forces and local officials in retaliation for Kenya’s military involvement in Somalia.
The KDF is currently preparing for deployment as part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which aims to bolster regional security and support Somalia’s counterinsurgency efforts.