Ruto: We'll do everything to free abducted chiefs

President William Ruto has now assured the country that the five abducted Mandera chiefs will be brought back home safely as he vowed to sustain the fight against criminal gangs and terror groups.

Ruto revealed that he has already instructed the Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to do everything within his power to ensure the administrators are freed.

“Nimekuja na Masengeli hapa, na nishamweleza ya kwamba juu na chini, kulia na kushoto, mbele na nyuma, east or west mpaka haya mambo yatatuliwe,” he said.

(I have come with Masengeli here, and I have told him that we will go above and beyond, in every direction to resolve this issue).

Ruto stated that the government has significantly downgraded the ability of the al Shabaab to unleash violence on the people of Kenya and they will not stop at anything to ensure northern Kenya is safe like any other part of Kenya.

The President also addressed the motive behind the abduction, suggesting it was an attempt to intimidate him and deter his visit to the region.

“Hawa wajinga walikuwa wanafikiria ya kwamba wakifanya hivyo ati ndiyo nisikuje hapa. Ni wajinga sana, ni wazimu,” he said.

(These fools thought that by doing so they could stop me from coming here. They are very foolish and mad).

He asserted: “It is not that I have just come to Mandera, I have come and will spend a night and I can even extend it.”

The Head of State stated that Mandera is part of Kenya and he will do everything possible to make it important and safe just like other parts of the country.

He said they will protect the integrity of the nation and will not cede an inch of any part of the country to criminals who want to unleash mayhem.

“We will go after them, we will deal with them and we will eliminate them,” he asserted.

The five chiefs are said to have been ambushed and kidnapped by suspected terrorists in Elwak in Mandera.

Police and witnesses said the group was travelling in a car to Elwak when they were attacked and hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki.

They were to meet in the area to plan how to cover the planned visit by Ruto to the region.

Ruto who commenced the tour today will also tour Garissa and Wajir.

Authorities plan to use elders to negotiate for the release of the five chiefs who were abducted Monday from a town near the Kenya-Somalia border in Mandera.

This, they said, is the surest way of ensuring their release given they are in the hands of unknown people inside Somalia.

Officials said already elders had been identified ahead of their mission, which is seen as normal whenever such an incident occurs.

“Unless they are killed, which may not happen, we have to send elders to negotiate with their counterparts in Somalia for the release of the administrators,” an official aware of the plans said.

This came as operations were mounted in the area amid fears of more attacks.

Ruto is accompanied by his deputy Kithure Kindiki, Governor Mohamed Khalif, Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale (Environment), Eric Mugaa (Water) and a host of elected leaders from the region.

Earlier on, Ruto visited Mandera Teachers’ Training College where he pledged to construct a building under the affordable housing programme that will house 500 students.

He also offered Sh1 million to the students.