Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that five chiefs who were abducted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County will be accorded state recognition for their courage and resilience.
The administrators were ambushed between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki in early February, just days before President William Ruto's scheduled visit to the northern region. They were later released in April.
Speaking in Elwak on the second day of the Jukwaa la Usalama tour of Mandera County, Murkomen praised the chiefs for their bravery and assured that the government would formally honor their service.
"I once again extend my apology, and I want to say that this year all the five chiefs will receive state recognition. They will be honored by the government because of their courage in enduring hardships and returning to duty," Murkomen said.
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"We will give them a Head of State Commendation during a ceremony that will take place this year," he added.
The Interior CS further lauded chiefs across the country "who sacrifice every day" in service to Kenyans.
Collaborative effort
While confirming the release of the abducted administrators in April, Murkomen described the development as "good news," crediting it to joint efforts between the national government, Mandera County authorities, and local communities.
"This is very good news based on collaborative efforts. As I had announced earlier, we decided to work together with the county government and the community, and this process has borne fruit," he said.
Authorities reported that the chiefs had been traveling to Elwak from Wargadud when they were ambushed and kidnapped. Mandera South Police Commander Julius Njeru confirmed the incident.
The abduction came just days before President Ruto's scheduled visit to the region. On February 4, Ruto described the attack as a desperate attempt by terrorists to instill fear among residents, pledging that security agencies would ensure the safe return of the administrators.
"I want to promise the people of Mandera that the abducted chiefs will be brought back home. We will spare no effort in dealing with these criminal elements," the President assured.
To reinforce security, Ruto directed the National Police Service to launch an immediate operation targeting terrorist networks in Mandera.
"I have directed the National Police Service to initiate an operation to deal with the criminal elements operating in this part of the country," he said at the time.
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