Kuria Warns of National Betrayal as Jubaland Troops Accused of Occupying Mandera

NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Trade Cabinet Secretary and one-time advisor to President William Ruto, Moses Kuria, has issued a scathing condemnation of the government’s handling of reports that foreign troops from Somalia’s Jubaland have entered Mandera County.

In a strongly worded statement, Kuria said Kenya’s territorial integrity had not faced such a grave violation since the Shifta War of the 1960s, when secessionist groups in northern Kenya fought for integration with Somalia.

“Not since the Shifta war has Kenya’s territorial integrity been so violated like the current Jubaland invasion of Mandera,” Kuria declared. 

“A nation watches in silence and despair, Mandera Governor a lone wolf in the desert. Imagine if it was, God forbid, Nairobi invaded by Uganda? Good old Jomo must be turning in his grave. I stand with the people of Mandera. This abdication and conspiracy of silence is appalling.”

Hon.Moses Kuria,HSC

@HonMoses_Kuria

·Follow

Not since the Shifta war has Kenya’s territorial integrity been so violated like the current Jubaland invasion of Mandera . A nation watches in silence and despair, Mandera Governor a lone wolf in the desert. Imagine if it was, God forbid, Nairobi invaded by Uganda ? Good old

5:57 pm · 30 Aug 2025

1.6K

Reply

Copy link

Read 201 replies

His comments come just days after Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif demanded the withdrawal of Jubaland forces, accusing them of occupying BP1 Primary School in Mandera town and displacing pupils preparing for national examinations. 

The governor said the troops had closed schools, farms, and water supplies, warning that if the government did not act, local leaders and residents would take matters into their own hands.

“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,” Khalif said during a public event last week.

The alarm was reinforced by Mandera Woman Representative Umulkheir Kassim, who said it was unacceptable for foreign troops to occupy civilian spaces, particularly schools. Mandera Senator Ali Roba also voiced concern, describing stray bullets and rocket fire across the border as a growing danger to Kenyan citizens.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, now one of the government’s fiercest critics, also weighed in on Sunday. 

Speaking during a church service and ordination ceremony in Ongata Rongai, Gachagua demanded that the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces order an immediate operation to remove the alleged foreign troops.

“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. 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,” Gachagua said.

The escalating rhetoric highlights growing political pressure on the government, which has yet to issue an official statement on the claims. 

Defence officials and the President’s office have remained silent, even as tension builds in Mandera and fears spread among residents.

Mandera’s location at the porous border with Somalia and Ethiopia has made it a frontline in Kenya’s battle against insecurity. 

The region has endured repeated al-Shabaab attacks, including the killing of quarry workers earlier this year and ambushes targeting security personnel. Analysts warn that the presence of foreign forces, whether officially sanctioned or not, could inflame instability in an already fragile area.

For Kuria, Gachagua, and Mandera leaders, the silence from Nairobi represents not just inaction but betrayal.