Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif during the launch of a dialysis centre and MRI Unit at Mandera County Referral Hospital on August 29, 2025/HANDOUT
Tension has
been mounting for days in Mandera County over alleged presence of forces from
Jubaland, one of the Federal States in Somalia.
Mandera Governor Mohamed Khalif on Friday raised alarm on
presence of the forces in the county, saying their continued stay threatens
Kenya's sovereignty and lives of locals.
Addressing residents of Mandera, Governor Khalif called for President Ruto’s intervention, saying the county cannot be turned into a
battleground for Somalia. Jubaland is a federal state in Somalia that acts as a
buffer zone for Kenya.
“We have no interest in Somalia. The only interest we have
in Somalia is peace. If there cannot be peace and only fighting, then we have
no business involving ourselves in their internal affairs,” he said.
The county boss further said a training camp for the forces had
been opened at B.P. One [Border Point One] Primary School, and that the school
had be closed to pupils.
“How do you close a public school and turn it into a
military training camp? And there are people who want to do an exam in the next
one month. It is impossible. We are thus demanding for immediate relocation of Jubaland
forces out of Mandera. I want to tell them, if we don't do it, we'll do it
ourselves,” he added.
In what appeared to be targeted to KDF, Khalif said if there
is need to support Somalia, the help should be done across the border as the Horn
of Africa country has enough land.
He said the government cannot close schools, water supply
and maim locals in the name of supporting a faction in Somalia.
“We are telling Defence CS Soipan Tuya that KDF must pull out
of supporting Jubaland forces and must be pushed out of Mandera,” he added.
A source told the Star that the Jubaland military is camping
in Mandera preparing an attack on Somalia National Army in Bula Hawa in Gedo.
A recent fighting between SNA troops and the Jubaland forces
resulted in displacement of residents, who are now hosted in temporary camps
set up at Barwaqo and Duse primary schools in Mandera town.
The bone of contention is the control of Bula Hawa— a
strategic border town— pitting SNA led by Abdikadir Janaan against the Jubaland
Security Forces.
Responding to claims by Governor Khalif, former Mandera
Senator Billow Kerrow regretted that Kenya's political dalliance with Jubaland
in recent years has undermined national security, particularly in Mandera.
“It's unacceptable to turn Mandera into a theatre of
conflict between Somalia forces,” he said.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday also raised
issue about the presence of the forces, saying they had occupied Mandera town,
and they had killed five people, injured seven and displaced others.
“It is unacceptable that foreign forces can invade Kenya and
the mandate of our Kenya Defence Forces is to protect our territorial
integrity. And it cannot be that foreign forces are in our land and the
government and Commander-in-Chief are quiet,” Gachagua said during a church service
at PCEA Ongata Rongai.
Former presidential adviser Moses Kuria has also weighed in
on the matter, saying the presence of the forces in Mandera is a violation of
Kenya’s territorial integrity.
“A nation watches in silence and despair, Mandera Governor a
lone wolf in the desert… I stand with the people of Mandera. This abdication
and conspiracy of silence is appalling,” Kuria said on X.
Attempts to get clarification on the matter from Foreign and Interior ministries as well as Office of the Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura were unsuccessful as they did not get back to the Star by press time.
