I didn't say 60% of Mandera controlled by Shabaab, says governor

Mandera Governor Mohamed Khalif on Saturday denied a statement attributed to him that al Shabaab controls almost all of the county.

On Friday, a TV station reported that Khalif had said 60 per cent of Mandera is under the control of al Shabaab terrorists.

The interview was done on the sidelines of a one-day security conference in Wajir town on Thursday to discuss Kenya-Somalia borderland security.

Khalif did say the presence of the militants has undermined services. 

"We cannot leave county headquarters [and head] to subcounties to offer services to our people in Mandera," he said during the interview.

But in a statement sent to newsrooms, the-first term governor denied the reported statements that the terrorists control 60 per cent of the  northernmost county.

“It has come to my attention that my statement regarding al Shabaab's presence in Mandera at the Kenya-Somalia Borderlands conference has been inaccurately portrayed by the media," his statement read.

"During the conference, I explicitly stated that, 'Al Shabaab's presence and sightings are more than 60 per cent'.

“Regrettably, the media misquoted me, falsely claiming that I said, 'Al Shabaab controls 60 per cent of Mandera county'. This misrepresentation is entirely false and misleading."

“I want to emphasise that I did NOT make any reference to al Shabaab's control over any specific percentage of Mandera county. My statement merely focused on the presence and activities of the group in the region."

The governor said as a public figure, he understands the importance of accurate reporting.

“Misquoting statements can have severe consequences and may lead to misconceptions among the public," he said.

He urged the media to rectify the error and provide an accurate account of his original statement "to foster a better understanding of the situation".

Mandera is one of the most-affected by increased Shabaab attacks.

At the meeting, the governor, said the safety and well-being of the people remains his administration's  top priority.

He said they are determined to address the challenges with resilience and cooperation.

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi there is need for more community sensitisation that to weed out elements that support the terror outfit.

“Our coming together as leaders is so that we can see what it is that we can do as political leaders and security to heighten sensitisation,” he said.

“We should as well as find innovative and effective solutions to security challenges bedevilling the counties."

The leaders engage in comprehensive discussions centred around rethinking security approaches in the affected counties that share borders with Somalia.

They further explored various strategies to combat cross-border threats, curb illegal activities and promote stability in their counties.

They emphasised strengthening cooperation and intelligence sharing among security agencies to enhance their collective ability to respond swiftly and efficiently to emerging threats.

In attendance were political leaders and security heads from Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Lamu counties.