ELWAK (Kaab TV) – Five chiefs from Elwak, Mandera South, who were abducted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants and held in Somalia for 62 days, have shared their ordeal for the first time.
Speaking at the Jukwaa la Usalama Security Baraza in Elwak town, attended by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, the chiefs described their harrowing experience and the hardship endured by their families during their absence.
“We went through a lot of suffering there, leaving our families in distress,” said Adaw Abdi Mohammed, one of the abducted chiefs.
The chiefs — Adaw Abdi Mohammed, Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Nur, Ibrahim Gabow, Abdi Hassan, and Abdi Hassan Suraw — thanked Kenyans for their prayers and goodwill, which they said gave them strength until their rescue.
But they also appealed for trauma counseling and financial assistance, noting that their families continue to struggle after two months without income.
They voiced support for the government’s plan to arm and train local administrators in frontier counties, urging for motorbikes and additional logistical support to confront the militant threat.
Murkomen hailed the five as heroes “who served on the edge of danger,” pledging state commendations during Mashujaa Day celebrations and promising improved welfare and security for chiefs serving in high-risk regions.
Security officials also called for vigilance and integrity in the fight against extremism. DCI Director Mohamed Amin urged chiefs to avoid corruption in identification processes, warning that compromised systems aid terrorist infiltration.