President William Ruto has vowed to use all available resources to rescue five chiefs who were abducted by Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County on February 4, 2025.
Speaking during his official tour of the region, the President assured the families of the chiefs that his government will work tirelessly to secure their safe return.
“I want to assure the people of Mandera that all the chiefs who were abducted yesterday will be freed and reunited with their families,” Ruto declared, promising decisive action.
The five chiefs, including Wargadud Town Chief Mohamed Adawa, were traveling between Wargadud and Elwak when their vehicle was hijacked. Chief Adawa was accompanied by his young daughter, who remains missing along with the other abducted administrators.
Ruto has ordered Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to urgently lead the search and rescue operation to bring the chiefs home.
“I have instructed Deputy IG Gilbert Masengeli to work closely with his team on the ground to ensure the safe return of these administrators and end the threat of terrorism in this region,” the President said.
Despite the abductions, Ruto remained resolute in his commitment to fight terrorism in Northern Kenya.
“We have significantly weakened Al-Shabaab’s ability to carry out attacks, and we will continue our efforts until we eradicate them from our country,” he affirmed.
The President warned that the abduction would not deter his government’s mission to bring peace to the region.
“Al-Shabaab thought they could stop me from coming to Mandera. That will not happen. We will fight and eliminate all terror cells,” Ruto said.
The administration’s efforts are focused not only on rescuing the chiefs but also on securing lasting peace for the people of Northern Kenya, who have long been affected by terror activities.
“Mandera is part of Kenya, and we will not allow any inch of our country to be controlled by terrorists. We will go after them, and we will eliminate them,” Ruto concluded.
