Sneek peek into Garissa’s most powerful family

By: Hassan Ayam

Politics in Garissa County transitioned across the years from a frontier of little political significance to a region that has earned its repute in the national politics. Garissa prides itself with the likes of Farah Maalim, Aden Duale and Yusuf Haji—all who to date have significant influence in the national political arena. From the outset thus, Garissa is a symbol of diversity, peaceful co-existence and hope.

A deeper look into the nature of politics in the county, however, portrays an alarming reality: that this is a county where opportunities and resources are biased for the benefit of a few individuals of “superior” social status in detriment to the welfare of the larger population.

It is factual that the bulk of national and country appointments meant for the people of Garissa have gone to just one family.

Sample this: A Principal Secretary post in the national government, a Commissioner with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), First Secretary in the Kenyan Embassy in the UK, nominated MCA post in the Nairobi County Assembly and East Africa Legislative Assembly MP have all gone to four siblings and their first cousin at expense of negotiated democracy.

If you are surprised at this revelation, the list is even longer. The Governor and Township Constituency MP are in-laws to the same family; it is basically one household taking every opportunity!

All the MCAs who were nominated by Jubilee in Garissa are close relatives of this household. This pathetic and unfortunate situation is a product of systematic exclusion and marginalization strategy crafted and perpetuated by their “patrons” who somehow got footing in Moi’s regime.

It is a well-known fact that the EALA MP used his position as a top official of a leading political party to include his cousin sister in the list of party’s potential nominees to the parliament; this did not materialize as the party could only nominate few.

Currently, a businessman who is also a member of this household has been awarded Garissa county top lucrative contracts such as construction of Multi-billion county headquarter which is currently been undertaken, supply of county fuel and many other which he got as a result of his family influence and courtesy of his son-in-law who happens to be the governor.

The same governor flouted pre-election power sharing agreement between the constituent communities but appointed a close relative to this businessman in a powerful CEC post.

It’s therefore suffices to conclude that the county is the hands of a clique with exclusion tendency. What is the essence of devolution if the beneficiaries are the same people who created inequities in the previous regimes? Democracy in Garissa is imposition of a few on the majority.

It is dangerous if we allow the few minorities to suppress the larger majority and benefit fewer individuals. We should not be fooled by what currently appears to be a political tussle between the two top most politicians in County. It is yet another ploy to entrench themselves deeper.

It is even worse if the people who sit on the opposition tables are the brothers and relatives of those in government or at helm of leadership thus check and balances only becomes a lip service.

President Uhuru must therefore revisit his appointments and ensure that representatives from Garissa are all inclusive.

The opinion expressed here are those of the writer and do not define the editorial stand of Kulan Post.