NAIROBI- Mandera County Senator and UDM Party Leader Ali Ibrahim Roba has sounded the alarm over what he termed as the “illegal occupation” of Mandera town by Jubaland forces, warning that the situation poses a grave threat to the safety, stability, and sovereignty of Kenya.

In a strongly worded press statement, the Senator expressed concern that Jubaland forces had established themselves inside Mandera town, disrupting normal life and creating panic among residents.

He said schools had been closed, businesses disrupted, and families displaced in fear of stray bullets and unexploded ordnance.

“Fear and panic now define daily life in Mandera. The situation is worsening by the hour as Jubaland forces build up strength within Mandera town itself, inside Kenyan territory, literally taking over our town,” Roba stated.

The Senator warned that both Jubaland and the Federal Government of Somalia were amassing troops and weapons, heightening the risk of violent clashes spilling into Kenyan soil. He likened the absurdity of the situation to “Mandera County waging war against the Republic of Kenya.”

Roba faulted the Government of Kenya for what he called “reckless inaction,” insisting that Kenya’s strategic interests must lie in supporting the Federal Government of Somalia, not “protecting a rogue state government.”

“Allowing Jubaland troops to entrench themselves in Mandera, risking Kenyan lives and property, is shameful, reckless, and a betrayal of our sovereignty. Foreign conflicts must be fought on foreign soil, not on the streets of Mandera,” he said.

The Senator further cautioned that the Government of Kenya would bear full responsibility for any injuries, deaths, or destruction that may result from the presence of foreign forces in Mandera.

He declared that if immediate steps were not taken to relocate Jubaland troops out of Mandera County, local leaders and residents would have no choice but to mobilize to defend themselves — a move he admitted would endanger peace and cause international embarrassment for Kenya.

“We make it plain: our people come first, always. Our government must act now,” Roba emphasized.

The Senator’s remarks come at a time of heightened tension along the Kenya-Somalia border, with security and sovereignty concerns dominating the political discourse in Mandera.