Murkomen says Mandera is safe from Jubaland

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has assured Kenyans that Mandera is safe from Jubaland and there is no foreign military presence in the county. Speaking in Kakamega during the Jukwaa la Usalama security meeting, Murkomen said some opposition leaders were spreading lies about security in Mandera. He argued that matters of national security should not be turned into political games. CS Kipchumba Murkomen reassures residents that Mandera is safe from Jubaland, dismissing claims of foreign troops crossing into Kenya and stressing enhanced security. PHOTO: (Courtesy) “They are going out there and speaking carelessly about security. What politics are they looking for in such matters? Someone who has ever sat in the National Security Council knows you cannot go outside and tell lies about your country,” Murkomen said. The CS stressed that Kenya does not face any threat from Somalia or Jubaland troops. He said the only real danger is the Al Shabaab militia, and the government is focused on protecting Kenyans from them. Murkomen’s remarks came after opposition leaders accused the government of ignoring claims that Jubaland forces had entered Mandera. Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua and former Chief Justice David Maraga criticised the government for what they called silence on the matter. Gachagua , while attending the burial of teacher Grace Wanjira in Mathioya, said Murkomen was wrong to dismiss the reports. He insisted that the government must act to guarantee the safety of Mandera residents. “I said there was a security problem in Mandera involving terrorism. They told me to keep quiet and even threatened me. Now the same things I raised are being repeated by others. Jubaland soldiers have crossed into Kenya and are in Mandera,” Gachagua claimed. He added that Mandera leaders only began speaking out after he raised the issue. Gachagua also accused Murkomen of pretending to investigate while Jubaland forces had already been in the area for months. The DCP leader further claimed that the troops had killed five people, injured seven, and forced the closure of a school. He questioned why the government ignored such reports while residents were suffering. Mandera Governor Adan Khalif also spoke, saying that Mandera should never be turned into a battlefield for Somalia’s conflicts. “We have no interest in Somalia’s internal affairs. Mandera must be safe for its people,” he said. Murkomen maintained that the government has already launched investigations and will deal with any criminals according to the law. He insisted that Mandera is safe from Jubaland and that security agencies remain on high alert to protect Kenyans.