President William Ruto has issued stern directives to national security agencies following the abduction of five chiefs from Mandera who were kidnapped on Monday while en route to a security meeting to plan for the Head of State's trip.
Speaking at Moi Stadium in Mandera County on Tuesday during his work tour, the President also fired a salvo at the al Shabaab insurgents after they bypassed security checkpoints and gained entrance into the country.
The President, visibly bypassing the dais where other leaders including his Deputy Kithure Kindiki spoke, chose instead to address the crowd from the roof of a car during which he assured that security agencies had been given firm directives to ensure the safe return of the five abducted chiefs.
''Security of our country is very paramount as we are fighting with insurgents, criminals and all sorts of delinquents,'' Ruto asserted.
''We will deal with the terrorists and that is why I have come with the Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli that no matter what happens that issue must be promptly addressed,'' he added.
According to the Head of State, the insurgents chose to abduct the administrators because of the effort that Kenyan multiagency security teams had shown against them in the region.
Further, he pointed out that the act was meant to scare him from proceeding with his planned 4-day work tour of the northeastern region.
The President disclosed that he would spend the night in Mandera to prove to the insurgents the government's resolve in dealing with the insecurity menace.
''Because we have shown our might against them and because they wanted to spread fear in this area, they went and abducted our chiefs. I want to promise the people of Mandera that the chiefs will come back home,'' Ruto stated
''They thought that by doing the abduction of the chiefs, they would scare me into not coming here today. I have come and I will spend the night here,'' he added.
At the same time, Ruto emphasized that the Kenyan government would not cede even an inch of the country's territory to the militants, adding that the government had significantly downgraded its capabilities.
The chiefs from the administrative units of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole were abducted by militant gunmen on Monday while traveling in a vehicle at the time of the incident.
The vehicle, which was ferrying them to Elwak, was hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki in Mandera South. The chiefs were en route to a consultative meeting to plan for the President's upcoming tour of the region.
