5 Chiefs Abducted by Al-Shabaab in Mandera Ahead of Ruto’s Visit Freed
The five Kenyan chiefs who were abducted by suspected Al-Shabaab militia in February while going for a security meeting to plan for President William Ruto's tour have been released.
The five were released on Sunday evening, after being dropped by unknown men following what local authorities reported were successful negotiations between the elders from the region and the militants.
The five had been held captive in neighbouring Somalia for the last two months following their abduction while on their way from Wargadud to Elwak Town.
The chiefs were from the administrative units of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole and were aboard a vehicle at the time of the incident.
At the time of the incident, the vehicle ferrying the chiefs to Elwak was hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki in Mandera South.
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The government has been in active efforts through the local elders to rescue the administrative officers whose abduction became a national security concern following the circumstances under which they were captured.
Following the incident, President Ruto, while on tour in Mandera, issued stern directives to national security agencies to ensure that the five were found.
Speaking at Moi Stadium in Mandera County on February 4 during his work tour, the president also fired a salvo at the al-Shabaab insurgents after they bypassed security checkpoints and gained entrance into the country.
''We will deal with the terrorists, and that is why I have come with the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Gilbert Masengeli, to say that no matter what happens, that issue must be promptly addressed,'' Ruto asserted in his address.
According to the head of state, the insurgents chose to abduct the administrators because of the effort that Kenyan multiagency security teams had shown against them in the region.
Kenya is currently on alert following the renewed efforts of the Al-Shabaab militants in neighbouring Somalia and along the borders of Kenya.
On Saturday, suspected Al-Shabaab militants ambushed a GSU camp in the Basuba area of Boni Forest, launching two rocket-propelled grenades during the attack.
In response, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers, working alongside General Service Unit (GSU) personnel, launched a manhunt for the attackers as part of ongoing efforts to secure the region.
