MURANG’A, Kenya – Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of ignoring security concerns in Mandera County, where locals have reported the alleged presence of Jubaland forces.
Speaking during the burial of teacher Grace Wanjira Mwinga in Mathioya Constituency, Murang’a County, Gachagua criticised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen for dismissing the reports, warning that residents’ safety was at stake.
“I raised the issue of insecurity in Mandera and terrorism threats, and I was attacked for it. Now everyone is saying the same thing. Jubaland forces have invaded Kenya and are in Mandera,” Gachagua said.
He claimed the foreign forces were responsible for killing five people, injuring seven others, and forcing the closure of a local school.
The opposition leader also faulted Murkomen for contradicting Mandera Governor Adan Khalif, who has publicly acknowledged the presence of the alleged foreign forces.
“You cannot dismiss what the governor and residents on the ground are saying. There is panic, lives have been lost, and the situation must be addressed urgently,” he said.
Murkomen, however, insisted the government was conducting investigations to establish the facts.
“When there are challenges, citizens sometimes flee from neighbouring countries into Kenya. We can’t confirm now whether they are forces or civilians until proper security analysis is done,” the CS said during a security forum in Busia.
Governor Khalif, together with other leaders, has appealed to President William Ruto to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to expel the alleged foreign troops, warning that their continued stay was crippling services in the border county.
“Mandera cannot be turned into a battleground for Somalia. We have no interest in their internal affairs,” Khalif said.
The claims have sparked anxiety in Mandera, a county long plagued by insecurity linked to al-Shabaab militants and cross-border tensions.
