Senators demand action as five abducted chiefs remain missing for over 40 days
Senators have now called on the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to provide regular updates on efforts to secure their release.
For 44 days, five families in Mandera have lived in agony, waiting for any news about their loved ones who were abducted in February while on official duty.
The chiefs, who were assessing security conditions ahead of a planned visit by the President, remain missing, with reports indicating they were taken across the border into Somalia.
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Senators have now called on the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to provide regular updates on efforts to secure their release.
Speaking in the Senate, Nominated Senator Mariam Omar said the continued disappearance of the five chiefs and the daughter of one of them has left families in distress and raised serious security concerns.
“The government must act with urgency to ensure the safe return of these leaders. Their families have been left in uncertainty for too long,” said Omar.
The five officials, Mohammed Adawa, Mohammed Hassan Kulmia, Abdi Hassan Suraw, Mohammed Noor Hache, and Assistant Chief Ibrahim Gabow, were travelling to Elwak for a security meeting when their convoy was intercepted.
Despite being accompanied by armed officers, they were abducted, with intelligence reports later indicating they were taken to Somalia, allegedly by Al-Shabaab militants.
Mariam urged the government to strengthen security at the borders and provide financial and psychological support to the affected families, who have been struggling to cope. She noted that many of those abducted were the sole breadwinners, leaving their families in financial distress.
“The emotional and psychological impact on their families is overwhelming, especially for their children, who are struggling to understand the disappearance of their fathers,” she said.
Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo questioned how the chiefs were taken despite having security personnel with them. He warned that if such a high-profile abduction could occur, then ordinary Kenyans were also at risk.
“If a chief can be abducted while under security escort, what does that mean for the rest of Kenyans? The government must ensure they are found alive and returned home safely,” Maanzo said.
Kenya has since sent a multi-agency team, led by community elders, to Somalia to negotiate the release of the chiefs. However, with no breakthrough so far, the families remain in anguish, hoping for a resolution that will bring their loved ones back home.
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