Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of turning a blind eye to what he describes as an incursion by Jubaland forces into Mandera County, warning that the situation poses a direct threat to Kenya’s sovereignty.
Speaking during a Sunday service at PCEA Ongata Rongai, Gachagua claimed that the militia had taken control of parts of Mandera town, leaving at least five people dead, seven injured, and several families displaced. Schools in the area, he said, had also been disrupted.
“It cannot be that foreign forces are in our land and the government is quiet, and even the Commander-in-Chief is silent. We are asking that the KDF be deployed immediately to flush them out,” he told congregants before addressing a rally outside the church.
Gachagua said he had taken it upon himself to defend the residents of Mandera and the wider North Eastern region, faulting both the national government and local leaders for what he described as a worrying silence.
“We want to assure the people of Mandera that even if your leaders remain silent, we will speak for you. We will not allow militias from neighbouring countries to destabilise you,” he said.
The former DP also criticised Mandera leaders, including Governor Mohamed Khalif, accusing them of downplaying the matter. He claimed that it was only after his remarks in a recent television interview that county leaders began calling for intervention.
According to Gachagua, the responsibility of safeguarding Kenya’s borders lies squarely with the Kenya Defence Forces, and any failure to act against the reported incursion undermines the country’s territorial integrity.
