Murkomen confirms release of five chiefs abducted in Mandera
The CS promised to issue further reports once the five are in the country, as he added that they are currently in the hands of Kenyan officials in Somalia, where they had been taken after abduction in February.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed the release of five abducted Mandera chiefs.
Murkomen stated that the release followed a collaborative effort between the national government, local communities, and the County government of Mandera.
The CS promised to issue more information once the five are in the country, as he added that they are currently in the hands of Kenyan officials in Somalia, where they had been taken after abduction in February.
“We have very good news that the five chiefs who were abducted in Mandera have been released and are now in the hands of Kenyan officials and will be arriving home anytime soon. This is good news brought by collaborative efforts, as announced before, that we decided to work together with the community and the county government of Mandera, and the local communities, and this process has borne fruit,” he said.
“We will be commenting further in the future once the chiefs are within the country and on the progress of what we are doing,” he added.
The confirmation by the CS comes hours after the Mandera County Commissioner, Henry Ochako, revealed that they were yet to get reports on their release.
Ochako said that he first heard about the release of the five on a section of the media, and until they see them, they cannot confirm the release.
“I cannot confirm or deny the information because we have not yet seen them. Until they are on our side, then we cannot say they have been released,” the county commissioner stated.
Ochako was responding to reports by a section of the media that the five, including Mohammed Adawa, Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Noor, Assistant Chief Ibrahim Gabow, and Senior Chief Abdi Suraw, were released by the Al-Shabaab militia yesterday afternoon after a negotiation with the elders.
The unconfirmed report stated that the five were handed over to the Garreh elders in Jilb, and plans are underway to bring them back to Elwak, Kenya.
The five chiefs and assistant chiefs were hijacked and forcibly taken by gunmen in February, at the Elwak area in Mandera County, while traveling from Wargadud for a meeting, just a day before President William Ruto visited the Northern Kenya region, which he termed as an effort to scare him from visiting the region.
“These people thought that I would not come if they did what they did yesterday. I not only came to Mandera, but I am also going to sleep here. If I want, I can also sleep here again because this is part of Kenya. I want to make it clear that every part of Kenya is important and we are not going to cede an inch of our country to criminals and those who want to unleash mayhem,” he stated during the visit.
They were traveling in a Mazda vehicle, which belongs to Chief Mohamednur Hache, when they were intercepted by the militants.
A ransom was reportedly demanded, though it remains unclear whether or how much was paid.
The government has been relying on local leaders for negotiations.
