Governor Korane fires back at Duale: “I decide who to employ”

Garissa Governor Ali Korane maintains counties have liberty to choose who to employ (Courtesy)

GARISSA—Garissa governor and Majority Leader in the National Assembly are once against heading for a collision course as war of words erupt between the leaders.

Garissa Governor, Ali Korane told off Aden Duale amid renewed debate on the county’s alleged hiring of unqualified staffs.

The debate was started by Duale who, without mentioning Garissa in particular, castigated the county administrations of hiring “unqualified personnel” instead of “professionals.”

”It is very unfair to employ people who have no university credentials when we have graduates,” Duale said on weekend during the launch of the Pastoralists Education Fair in Garissa town.

Speaking during the launch of a programme for the treatment and care of diabetes among children, the Governor said the matter had taken a political dimension.

” I want to inform those gossiping that Garissa county has employed unqualified personnel that we are a devolved government and at liberty to employ staff who will have an input to service delivery,” the Governor said.

”It was wrong for a national government agency to succumb to political blackmail and start harassing innocent county staff through unwarranted summons,” Korane added.

The Governor said county governments were independent entities thcreated by the constitution and were not subservient to other government institutions.

“The constitution has empowered us and we won’t hesitate to pluck a cattle herder from the oblivion and recruit him or her to serve in offices so long as they are adding value based on their experience,” Korane notes.

Garissa county assembly speaker, Ahmed Ibrahim Abass alleged that, “A local politician had incited the national government agency against the County government.”

He termed Duale’s statements as “unfortunate and baseless.”

He said the county assembly has qualified members who were mandated to undertake oversight role and warned Members of the National Assembly not to overstep their mandate.