11/05/2026
NAIROBI — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has joined Mandera leaders in condemning the killing of six people by unidentified gunmen who attacked a passenger minibus along the Mandera-Arabia road on Saturday.
In a statement issued on Monday, Gachagua expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished a quick recovery to the seven others who were injured in the attack in Arabia Sub-County, Mandera County.
“I send my deepest condolences to the families of the six innocent Kenyans who were brutally killed in Arabia Sub-County, Mandera County. I also wish the seven injured a quick and full recovery,” he said.
Gachagua blamed the incident on Jubaland forces, which he claimed are operating inside Mandera County. He described the attack as a serious breach of Kenya’s sovereignty and called for the "immediate removal of all illegal foreign forces from the area."
He noted that the incident validated warnings he issued last year about the security threat posed by the presence of suspected Jubaland forces in parts of Mandera — a claim that was previously rejected by local security officials.
“Last year, I warned about the serious security threat posed by the presence of illegal foreign Jubaland forces in the territory of the Republic of Kenya when they had occupied almost the entire Mandera Town. This tragic incident has sadly confirmed those fears,” Gachagua stated.
He further demanded the swift expulsion of the forces, insisting that Kenya must not compromise its territorial integrity.
“We cannot trade the territorial integrity of our nation for cheap business and political gains of a few individuals at the helm of our nation,” he added.
Kulan Post