Mandera Tensions Rise as Kenyan Leaders Demand Removal of Jubaland Forces

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Former Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called on President William Ruto to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to Mandera, accusing troops from Somalia’s Jubaland state of crossing the border and threatening Kenya’s sovereignty.

Speaking on Sunday, Gachagua said foreign forces were reportedly operating inside Mandera town, a claim he said required urgent military intervention.

“It cannot be that foreign forces are in our land and the commander-in-chief is quiet. We ask him to order an operation to flush out foreign troops from our soil,” Gachagua said.

His remarks come days after Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif alleged Jubaland forces had set up camp at a local primary school, forcing its closure and displacing students preparing for national exams. Khalif warned that Mandera “cannot be turned into a battleground for Somalia.”

Residents have staged protests against the alleged presence of Jubaland troops, expressing fears that fighting between Somali government forces and Jubaland militias could spill across the border.

Jubaland officials have denied their forces are inside Kenya. Vice President Mohamed Sayid earlier this month said the troops remain stationed along Somalia’s border with Kenya.