Mandera, Kenya – Five chiefs en route to a security meeting ahead of President William Ruto’s scheduled visit to the North Eastern region were abducted on Monday, February 3, by suspected members of the outlawed Al-Shabaab terror group in Elwak, Mandera County.
North Eastern Regional Commissioner John Otieno confirmed that the chiefs were traveling towards Elwak when their vehicle was ambushed and hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki. Security forces have since launched a multi-agency operation to track down the abductors and rescue the officials.
The kidnapped chiefs, from the administrative units of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole, were part of a high-level security planning meeting for President Ruto’s upcoming tour of the region. The president, accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, is set to visit Mandera, Garissa, and Wajir counties to engage local communities and assess ongoing development projects.
Authorities believe the abductors may have crossed into Somalia with the captives. In response, Kenya’s security forces, operating under the Special Operations Group (SOG), mounted a rapid-response mission. However, their efforts were delayed by an improvised explosive device (IED) attack targeting security personnel deployed to the scene.
Mandera County has long been a hotspot for Al-Shabaab activity, with frequent attacks targeting government officials and security forces. The latest abduction comes amid a series of terror-related incidents in the region. On April 29, 2024, an IED explosion in Elwak Town killed five people after suspected militants transported the device in a donkey cart to evade detection. Just weeks earlier, on March 25, three people, including two police officers, were killed in another explosion near a police station in Mandera.
Local leaders and residents have condemned the escalating attacks, calling for urgent government intervention to bolster security in the volatile border region. The Ministry of Interior had yet to issue an official statement on the latest abduction at the time of publication.
