NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday demanded immediate military action to protect Kenya’s sovereignty, warning that foreign forces were allegedly occupying Mandera County.
Speaking during a church service and ordination ceremony for Reverend Joseph Mburu at PCEA Ongata Rongai Church in Kajiado North, Gachagua said it was unacceptable for foreign troops to set foot in Kenya while the government remained silent.
He called on the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces to order an operation to flush out the alleged invaders.
“And it cannot be that foreign forces are in our land and the government is quiet. The commander-in-chief is quiet. We are asking the commander-in-chief of the Kenya Defence Forces to immediately order an operation to flush out foreign troops out of our land. This is our country. We have a responsibility to protect our territorial integrity,” he stated.
The former Deputy President added that Kenya’s northeastern frontier must not be turned into a battleground for Somalia.
“It cannot be that forces from Somalia can come into Kenya and occupy our land and terrorize our people. Yet the government is quiet and the leaders of Mandera are quiet,” he said.
Gachagua’s remarks follow a standoff in Mandera where Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif has accused Jubaland troops of setting up a base inside the county.
On Friday, the governor alleged that the forces had occupied BP1 Primary School in Mandera town, forcing its closure and displacing pupils preparing for national examinations.
He demanded their immediate withdrawal and warned that residents would take action themselves if the government failed to intervene.
“Mandera cannot be turned into a battleground for Somalia. We have no interest in Somalia except peace. If the forces are not removed immediately, we will take action ourselves,” the governor warned.
He further accused the foreign troops of closing schools, disrupting farms, and interfering with water supplies in the name of supporting a faction in Somalia.
The claims have triggered widespread concern among leaders and residents of Mandera.
Woman Representative Umulkheir Kassim echoed the governor’s sentiments, saying the militarization of a learning institution was unacceptable and endangered the lives of children.
Mandera Senator Ali Roba also described the situation as alarming, noting that stray bullets and rockets had already created fear among locals.
Mandera sits at the crossroads of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, and has long borne the brunt of insecurity linked to al-Shabaab militants.
In recent months, the county has suffered a spate of deadly attacks, including the murder of five quarry workers in April and the killing of six police officers in Garissa County in March.
Security analysts warn that foreign troop movements across the porous border risk inflaming tensions further and undermining Kenya’s counter-terrorism operations.
Despite the mounting concerns, the government in Nairobi has yet to issue an official statement on the presence of Jubaland troops inside Mandera.
Neither the Ministry of Defence nor the Office of the President has commented publicly on the governor’s allegations or on Gachagua’s call for an immediate military operation.
As the situation escalates, questions are growing about Kenya’s ability to secure its borders and protect civilians in a region long plagued by cross-border incursions and militant threats.
The absence of a government response has left Mandera residents anxious and has intensified calls for decisive leadership to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity.
