Murkomen explains how govt secured release of abducted chiefs
By Valerian Khakayi, August 22, 2025Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has shed light on how the government secured the release of the five chiefs who had been abducted in Mandera.
Speaking during a joint media briefing on Thursday night, August 21, 2025, Murkomen explained that elders in Kenya played a crucial role by reaching out to their counterparts across the border in Somalia.
He noted that the intervention was successful without the interference of the government because the two communities share family and clan ties.
“The elders in Kenya took the initiative and spoke with the other elders in Somalia, and tried to tell them to help them pursue the criminals who went with the chiefs because it is one clan, the clan in Kenya is the same as the one in Somalia,” Murkomen said.
“Elders in Somalia were able to intervene using their local mechanism and help their colleagues in the part of Kenya without the interference of the government of Kenya.”
He added that the government’s role was limited to engaging Somalia’s leadership to support the cross-border elders’ efforts.
“Ours was just to speak to the government of Somalia to see how best they can be able to help us,” he added.
Murkomen emphasised that family relations across the border played the greatest role in securing the chiefs’ release, with cultural bonds proving stronger than formal negotiations.
“What played the greater role is the family relations on both sides of the border that managed to secure their relatives from danger,” he stated.
Chief’s freed
Murkomen, on Sunday, April 13, 2025, confirmed that five chiefs who had been abducted in Mandera have been safely reconnected with their families.
“I sincerely thank everyone involved for the efforts I announced the other day, the collaboration between the county government and the national government has been made possible through a system of Nyumba Kumi and elders. The chiefs who were abducted in Mandera returned home just two hours ago, and that is very important because we were extremely worried about them,” Murkomen said.
“This is very good news for us because we were genuinely worried about our chiefs. For those who have been attacked while addressing insecurity, we will take action. And for those who have lost their lives while serving the public — whether their homes have been burnt or their property destroyed — we will take care of their families. If they have died in the line of duty, that is something we take very seriously.”
Abduction
The five chiefs were abducted on February 3, 2025, in the Elwak area of Mandera County, a day before President William Ruto’s visit to the region.
They were travelling in a vehicle belonging to one of the chiefs when they were intercepted by Al Shabaab militants.
President Ruto, after the incident, suggested that the abductions were an attempt to disrupt his tour.
“These people thought that I would not come if they did what they did yesterday. I have not only come to Mandera but I am also going to sleep here. If I want, I can also sleep here again because this is part of Kenya,” Ruto said.