Leaders raise alarm over Jubaland forces in Mandera, pressure piles on Ruto to act

The presence of Jubaland forces in Mandera has brought life in the border county to a near standstill, local leaders and residents have warned. 

There are fears that a violent conflict could erupt at any moment.

Yesterday, Mandera Senator Ali Roba described the situation as "alarming and unacceptable," saying the forces have been sighted inside Mandera town. Their presence has disrupted daily life and created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

“The troops have disrupted learning in schools, paralysed businesses and displaced families living along the border, who now fear stray bullets and unexploded ordnance,” Roba told the Star.

But even as local leaders sounded the alarm, the government dismissed reports of foreign troops being on Kenyan soil. 

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen insisted that no such presence had been officially established.

Speaking in Busia during the ‘Jukwaa la Usalama’ tour of Western Kenya, Murkomen said security agencies were still investigating.

“We cannot now confirm whether they were forces or civilians. It is not until you do a proper security analysis and investigations that you get to know exactly what is on the ground,” Murkomen told journalists.

National Assembly Defence intelligence and foreign relations chairman, Nelson Koech, said his committee was seized of the matter and had asked the Ministry of Defence to stop its continued silence on the matter.

He added that his committee would undertake an independent evaluation and advise on their official position. 

The conflicting accounts highlight a long-standing source of tension along the porous Kenya-Somalia border, where Mandera residents have often found themselves caught in the crosshairs of clashes between Somali federal forces and Jubaland’s regional militia.

“An atmosphere of fear has engulfed the entire town, with residents expecting violent conflict to erupt at any moment between Jubaland forces and the Federal Government of Somalia’s military,” Roba said in a dispatch shared with the Star.

He added that both sides are escalating their troop numbers and weaponry.

“Shockingly, Jubaland forces are consolidating their strength within Mandera town on Kenyan soil, effectively taking over our community. This is not just outrageous, it is a national humiliation. 

“The absurdity of a regional state government fighting its federal government is akin to Mandera County Government declaring war on the Government of Kenya. Such madness should never be imported into our territory,” he said.

Jubaland is a federal state in Somalia that acts as a buffer zone for Kenya.

Roba warned that the county’s allegiance to the Kenya Kwanza government should not be misinterpreted as a licence to gamble with the lives of the locals.

“If the government fails to immediately and decisively remove Jubaland forces from Mandera county, then we will have no choice but to mobilise ourselves to expel them, an outcome that will not only endanger peace but also cause grave international embarrassment to Kenya,” he said.

Roba corroborated Mandera Governor Mohamed Khalif, who on Friday said the continued stay of the forces threatens Kenya's sovereignty and the locals’ lives.

Khalif asked President William Ruto to intervene, saying the county cannot be turned into a battleground for Somalia.

He further said a training camp for the forces had been opened at BP One [Border Point One] Primary School and that the school had been closed to pupils.

The Jubaland forces are said to have escaped Somalia after a fight with Somali National Army troops. Residents, who have been displaced, are now hosted in temporary camps at Barwaqo and Duse primary schools.

Some locals organised demonstrations over the forces on Tuesday.

“What [former Deputy President Rigathi] Gachagua said is true. Jubaland militia are in Mandera at BP One and people have died. They are on our farms training here and our children are not going to school. We can’t sleep because of fear,” resident Mohamed Malak said during the demos.

“Our governor and MCA spoke the truth but the county commissioner said the claims were false. That’s his falsehood.” 

Malak added that the forces arrived on July 30 and have been in the area for approximately 33 days.

The issue has invited criticism from the opposition, with the former DP firing the first shot.

During an interview with Citizen TV, Gachagua claimed half of Mandera had been occupied by the forces from Jubaland.

He sustained his criticism of the government’s silence and inaction on Sunday, saying the forces had not only occupied Mandera town, but also killed five people, injured seven and displaced others.

“It is unacceptable that foreign forces can invade Kenya and the mandate of our KDF 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 at PCEA Ongata Rongai.

His counterparts from the opposition have also voiced their concerns, criticising the President for remaining quiet.

On Tuesday, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka—once a Foreign Affairs minister—termed the situation as "occupation".

“Mr Ruto, have you seceded the Kenyan territory to foreign troops? Is your regime too weak to defend Kenya’s territorial integrity?” he posed.

Kalonzo said there is no excuse for the Kenyan government to allow the forces to cross over in Kenya.

“Under what international treaty or law are they doing this? This is simply invasion/occupation and that’s why we want to call on the commander-in-chief, William Ruto, to explain the situation."

DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa termed the incursion a grave violation of Kenya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Eugene further queried the silence by Ruto, Defence CS Aden Duale and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“I'm very, very surprised that up to now the CS in charge of Defence has not said anything. We've not had any statement from KDF. Are they allowing Jubaland forces to operate within Kenyan territory with the authority of KDF, with the authority of the commander-in-chief?

“We have the people of Mandera, the governor and the MCA who have called and told us the situation on the ground is not good. Kenyans are living in fear within their own land,” the former Defence CS said in a video address.

He added that unless the Ruto government is doing deals with Jubaland at the expense of Kenya’s national security, the situation cannot be allowed.

Retired Chief Justice and presidential aspirant David Maraga also weighed in on the matter. 

In a statement, Maraga said the presence of the forces sets a dangerous precedent that could embolden external actors to interfere with Kenya’s internal affairs.

“The protection of our territorial integrity is a fundamental duty imposed on the President and all state organs by our constitution. I therefore call upon President Ruto to ensure the prompt withdrawal of Jubaland forces from Kenya,” Maraga said.

Armed conflict expert Naomi Kilungu notes that the crisis is not just about Kenya’s borders but also the future of peace, sovereignty and counter-terrorism in the Horn of Africa.

Kilungu added that implications will be immense, particularly on security, given the border counties are already vulnerable to al Shabaab attacks.

She further noted the incursion is a challenge to Kenya’s sovereignty as “militarisation of Kenyan soil tests Nairobi’s control and credibility".

The situation could result in a humanitarian crisis, Kilungu added, as refugee flows and disrupted civilian life deepen the fragility of the region.

Diplomatically, she said, Kenya must balance domestic security imperatives with regional peacebuilding to avoid escalation.