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Five Kenyan chiefs who were kidnapped by al-Shabaab militants in Mandera have been released.
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The chiefs had been seized while traveling from Wargadud to Elwak and were freed in Jilb, Somalia, on Sunday, April 6, according to local authorities. Community elders involved in the talks confirmed they were handed over to Garreh elders in Jilb, with plans in motion to return them to Elwak, Kenya.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was expected to address the release during his tour of the Coast region.
The abducted officials—Chiefs Mohammed Adawa, Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Noor, Assistant Chief Ibrahim Gabow, and Senior Chief Abdi Suraw—were kidnapped on February 3 in Elwak, just before President William Ruto began a visit to northeastern Kenya.
Officials said the chiefs would undergo debriefing and be reunited with their families.
Speaking in Mandera shortly after the incident, President Ruto promised the safe return of the chiefs, denouncing the kidnapping as an attempt to instill fear. He affirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring security and instructed Deputy Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to lead recovery efforts in the area.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo later echoed Ruto’s message, emphasizing that even government officials are vulnerable to insecurity in the region.
Although a ransom was allegedly demanded, it’s unclear whether any payment was made. Negotiations were led by local elders.
Witnesses and police said the chiefs were blindfolded, and militants took over their vehicle, heading toward Lafey. The abduction took place about 25 kilometers from the Kenya-Somalia border, suggesting the attackers were familiar with both the terrain and the chiefs’ route.
At the time, the chiefs had been traveling to attend a presidential event in Mandera when the ambush occurred. A rescue attempt by Special Forces was foiled due to an improvised explosive device planted along the route.
Along with the chiefs, a woman—believed to be the daughter of one of the chiefs—was also taken to Somalia.
The incident adds to ongoing security concerns in the border region, which frequently experiences incursions by al-Shabaab militants. In December, suspected al-Shabaab fighters killed a DCI driver in Lafey and stole his vehicle, later abandoning the body.
The government has reiterated its efforts to counter such threats and restore stability in the region.
