Kenyan Leaders Urge Ruto to Expel Jubaland Forces Camped in Mandera

GOOBJOOG NEWS|NAIROBI: Pressure is mounting on President William Ruto to take firm action after reports that forces from Somalia’s Jubaland administration have pitched camp inside Mandera County, displacing residents and shutting down schools.

Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif accused Jubaland troops of converting BP1 Primary School into a base, forcing pupils out and disrupting classes. “Mandera cannot be turned into a battleground for Somalia,” he warned, demanding the immediate relocation of the fighters.

Opposition leaders and senior politicians have echoed his concerns. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua described the presence of the militia as “unacceptable” and called on Ruto to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to expel them. Mandera Woman Representative Umulkheir Kassim and Senator Ali Roba also condemned the situation.

TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

Former Chief Justice and current presidential candidate David Maraga went further, framing the issue as a constitutional crisis. “Recent reports confirming the entry and operations of armed Jubaland (Republic of Somalia) forces in Mandera County have raised profound constitutional, legal, and security concerns,” he said. “As a sovereign state, Kenya’s borders are inviolable. 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.”

Residents say the deployment has worsened insecurity, with reports of civilians killed, injured, and displaced in the border region. Local leaders warn that unless the government acts, Mandera risks being dragged into Somalia’s internal conflicts.

Jubaland has denied the claims. Vice President Mohamed Sayid told the BBC Somali service that their forces remain on the Somali side of the border and have not crossed into Kenya.

FGS-JUBALAND STAND-OFF

The standoff comes against a backdrop of fierce clashes in southern Somalia between the Somali National Army (SNA) and Jubaland forces, particularly around the strategic border town of Bula Hawa. Fighting there in recent weeks has forced hundreds of families to flee across the frontier into Mandera, where they are now living in temporary shelters at schools and public facilities.

Mandera, at the heart of the Kenya–Somalia–Ethiopia triangle, has long been vulnerable to instability spilling over from Somalia. It is also a frequent target of al-Shabaab attacks, leaving its residents particularly exposed to cross-border turmoil.

With leaders now speaking out publicly, the Ruto administration faces growing pressure to clarify its position and act decisively on the reported presence of Jubaland forces.