NAIROBI, Kenya — After two harrowing months in captivity, five chiefs kidnapped in Mandera County by suspected al-Shabaab militants have been released.
The administrators, who were abducted on February 3 while traveling from Wargadud to Elwak, were freed and reunited with their families following a “delicate and coordinated” effort between local security agencies and intelligence teams.
The chiefs had been en route to a planning meeting for President William Ruto’s high-stakes tour of the northern region when armed militants ambushed their vehicle between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki, near the porous Kenya-Somalia border.
BREAKING: Five chiefs abducted in February by Al-Shabaab gunmen while traveling from Wargadud to Elwak in Mandera County have been released.
A Shocking Abduction Near the Border
Their disappearance sent shockwaves through the security establishment and triggered a wide-scale operation in Mandera, a region long known for cross-border incursions by al-Shabaab militants.
The group has previously claimed responsibility for a string of attacks targeting government officials, security forces, and civilians.
At the time of the abduction, Mandera South Police Commander Julius Njeru confirmed that the five officials were traveling for official duty ahead of President Ruto’s tour, which included stops in Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, and Mandera.
Ruto also chaired a Cabinet meeting in Garissa as part of a broader outreach to the pastoralist regions in northern Kenya.
BREAKING NEWSThe five chiefs who were abducted in February by Al-Shabaab gunmen in Mandera County have been released.
High-Risk Territory, Heightened Security
Security sources say the chiefs were taken across the border into Somalia, where al-Shabaab has maintained strongholds despite ongoing military operations.
The area is under a multi-agency security operation that includes the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the National Police Service, and other units working to flush out militants from their hideouts.
The February incident wasn’t isolated—only weeks before, a DCI driver was ambushed and killed in a similar attack in Lafey, with his vehicle stolen and his body dumped before the attackers vanished across the border. That incident, too, was linked to al-Shabaab.
In response to the increasing threats, Kenyan forces intensified patrols and surveillance across Mandera and surrounding counties.
A Fragile Relief in a Volatile Region
The chiefs’ release has brought a wave of relief to local communities and renewed calls for more permanent security infrastructure in northern Kenya.
Despite sporadic gains, al-Shabaab’s ability to strike and retreat across the border continues to pose a challenge for law enforcement and counter-terror units.
Their safe return is a rare bright spot in a region long battered by conflict—and a reminder that even in some of Kenya’s most volatile corners, coordinated action can yield hopeful outcomes.