5 Chiefs Abducted By Al Shabaab Ahead Of Ruto Visit Released

Five Kenyan chiefs who were kidnapped by suspected Al-Shabaab militants back in February, while on their way to a security meeting ahead of President William Ruto’s visit, were set free.

They were released on Sunday evening, reportedly dropped off by unidentified individuals after local elders negotiated with the militants, according to authorities in the area.

The five chiefs had been held in captivity across the border in Somalia for the past two months after being abducted while traveling from Wargadud to Elwak Town.

They were from the administrative areas of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole, and were in a vehicle when the abduction took place.

In this 2010 file photo, Al-Shabaab fighters display weapons as they conduct military exercises in northern Mogadishu, Somalia. /CNN

The vehicle transporting the chiefs to Elwak was hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki in Mandera South at the time of the abduction.

In response, the government launched efforts, working closely with local elders, to rescue the chiefs, as their kidnapping sparked national security concerns due to the way the attack unfolded.

During a visit to Mandera, President Ruto issued strict orders to national security agencies to ensure the safe recovery of the five officials. While addressing a crowd at Moi Stadium in Mandera County on February 4, the president also called out the al-Shabaab militants for breaching security checkpoints and entering the country.

"Security is very important. The security of our country is very important. We are fighting against hooligans, crooks and criminals, alongside terrorists. Because we have given the terrorists a hard time yesterday, because of wanting to strike fear in this area, they went and kidnapped our chiefs," he addressed.

"I want to promise the people of Mandera that those chiefs should come back home, and those crooks and terrorists and hooligans, we will deal with them. I have come with the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Masengeli and I have explained to him that up and down, left and right, front and back, east or west, until this matter is dealt with."

A tough-talking Head of State remarked that his government has made it very difficult for the Al Shabaab to carry out terror attacks in the Republic, as has been the case over the years, vowing that his administration will deal with the terrorists with finality.

Ruto also claimed that the abduction of the chiefs was meant to scare him away from his visit to Mandera County. 

"Those stupid people had thought that if they did what they did yesterday, I wouldn't come here. They are stupid to the point of being crazy. It's not that I've come to Mandera, I came to Mandera and I'll sleep in Mandera...and if it exceeds, I can sleep here again," he added.

Kenya is currently on high alert due to a resurgence of Al-Shabaab activity both in neighboring Somalia and near its border areas. On Saturday, suspected Al-Shabaab fighters attacked a GSU camp in the Basuba area of Boni Forest, firing two rocket-propelled grenades during the ambush.

In retaliation, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and General Service Unit (GSU) officers launched a manhunt for the assailants as part of continued operations to stabilize and secure the region.

President William Ruto speaking at Mandera Teachers Training College on February 4, 2025. /PCS