Security forces make contact with abducted chiefs

The fate of five chiefs abducted on Monday by Al-Shabaab militia remained unknown even as President William Ruto vowed to ensure they are rescued alive.

The chiefs were taken into captivity in Somalia where elders from both sides of the boarder were engaged in the hope that they can reach out to the militants who live among local communities.

Last evening, The Standard established that security agents had managed to locate where the chiefs are being held right inside Somalia.

“It’s just a matter of time; we will get them and bring them back home,” said a senior officer privy to the delicate operation involving use of diplomacy. 

Earlier, police spokesman Michael Muchiri said they were pursuing the kidnappers with a view of rescuing alive the chiefs.

“The approach is multi-dimensional with KDF leading the operation that involves engaging locals to assist, but pursuit of the enemy is objective number one,” he said.

Even as the the president talked tough, relatives of chiefs Mohamed Adawa, Mohamed Hassan, Abdi Hassan, Mohamed Noor Hache and assistant chief Ibrahim Gabow were increasing worried about the safety of their loved ones. 

It has also emerged that chief Adawa of Wargadud town Mandera South was with his daughter who was also abducted by the militia who ambushed the convoy at Iresuki area, some 23 kilometres from Alwak where they were going to join the Deputy County Commissioner enroute to Mandera town ahead of Dr Ruto’s tour that started yesterday.

Some of the desperate family members who spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity indicated their willingness to cross over to Somalia and help in the search mission of their kinsmen.  

Rahma (not her real name) who is wife to one of the chiefs yesterday disclosed that family members are engaging with their friends in Somalia’s Gedo region to know where the man is being held. 

An anxious Rahma who seemed to be losing patience with the government, said the family will pull at all the stops to save their relative even if it meant paying ransom. 

“Family members are working round the clock to establish the location where he is being held and rescue him at all cost,” she said.

Negotiating with Al-Shabaab is not an uncommon practice in North Eastern region where families of abducted victims pay ransom in exchange of their freedom.  

In January 2012, the Somali insurgents captured two government officials who were released more than a year later following successful negotiations that were spearheaded by then Administration Police Commandant Abdi Shurie.

Edward Yesse Mule, a District Officer and Fredrick Irungu Wainaina, Registrar of Persons clerk in Wajir South District were abducted at the Gerile AP border post. 

Efforts to bring them back home safely were proved futile after the government initially declined to negotiate with the Al Shabaab militants demanding a huge ransom. 

Then Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula who is now Speaker of National Assembly told the country that government was pushing for the release of the two officials.

“We are making efforts to ensure they are set free by the captors. The efforts are at various levels of government and we remain confident about a positive outcome,” said Wetang’ula.

And in May 2017, the extremists raid the home of chief Dekow Abbey Sirat in Omar Jillo village, Mandera County, and killed him on suspicion that he was an informer. Four armed broke at night, into the home of the administrator, interrogated Abbey before shooting him in the head.

Since 2011 when Kenya troops made a successively incursion into Somalia in pursuit of the Al Shabaab, Mandera has been among the hardest hit with the insurgents making frequent attacks in retaliation.  

Dr Ruto said his government remains unbowed by the latest attack and assured the country his administration  is taking decisive action to eradicate insecurity in the North Eastern.  

The President said the government will not allow criminals in the region to terrorise the people and derail the region’s development agenda. 

He pointed out that the government has significantly weakened the influence of the Al-Shabaab in Northern Kenya, noting the abduction of the five chiefs was a desperate attempt to cause panic. 

“They thought that by doing so, they would stop us from coming here. I must make it absolutely clear that every inch of Kenya is important, and we are not going to cede an inch of our country to criminals. We will go after them, we will deal with them and we will eliminate them,” the President asserted. 

He directed Deputy Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to spearhead security operations in the region, including efforts to bring the abducted chiefs home safely. 

The President Ruto was speaking in Mandera town as he began a four-day development tour of the region accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Governors Mohamed Adan Khalif (Mandera) and Mohamud Ali (Marsabit), Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale (Environment) and Eric Muga (Water) among a host of other leaders.