Al Shabaab Kidnaps 5 Chiefs Who Were Meeting To Plan For Ruto Visit
A joint security team has since been deployed to pursue the abductors.
Marvin Chege 
Five chiefs were on Monday, February 3 abducted by suspected members of the outlawed Al Shabaab terror group in Elwak, Mandera County.
According to North Eastern Regional Commissioner John Otieno, the five were heading towards Elwak when they were hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki. A joint security team has since been deployed to pursue the abductors.
It is reported that the officials were scheduled to meet to organise security plans ahead of President William Ruto’s scheduled visit to the region during the week.
In this 2010 file photo, Al-Shabaab fighters display weapons as they conduct military exercises in northern Mogadishu, Somalia. /CNN
Ruto is set to embark on a week-long tour of the North Eastern region to engage with local communities and discuss regional development priorities. Joined by his Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki, he will visit Mandera, Garissa, and Wajir Counties to evaluate ongoing projects and hold meetings with local leaders.
The suspects are thought to have escaped alongside the officials toward Somalia. In response to the incident, a multi-agency operation has been initiated.
The chiefs were from the administrative units of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole and were aboard a vehicle at the time of the incident.
Kenya's security multi-agency teams operating under the Special Operations Group (SOG) quick response unit encountered an IED attack while responding to the incident. This led to delays in the rescue efforts to help bring the five chiefs home, with the insurgents making away with the administrators.
The Ministry of Interior was yet to issue a statement on the incident by the time of going to press. Mandera County has notably been notorious for wielding al-Shabaab insurgents targeting locals and chiefs, with terror incidents reported in the previous years.
On April 29, 2024, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) killed five people at Elwak Town in Mandera County after it was brought in by suspected terrorists in a donkey cart to avoid detection.
The IED exploded after it was reportedly planted in the town's Central Business District just near the Administrative Police (AP) post. In response, businesses in the area including banks announced the closure of their operations even as security agencies embarked on tracking down the perpetrators.
On March 25, 2024, three people were killed and two injured following an explosion that occurred near a police station in Mandera County. The trio included two police officers and a woman said to have owned a hotel opposite a hospital in the area.
Officials suspected that Al Shabaab militants were behind the deadly explosion, which specifically targeted the hotel frequented by security personnel.
In the wake of the tragedy, Mandera residents voiced their outrage, labelling the incident as a cowardly act aimed at crippling the local economy and fostering an environment of desperation conducive to recruitment by the terror group.
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