Mandera County Deputy Governor faulted for “fanning inter-clan clashes”

Mandera Senatorial aspirant Osama Rashid Abdille has condemned what he describes as “inciting remarks” by Deputy Governor Dr. Ali Maalim Mohamud, accusing him of wrongly labeling residents of Malkamari and Guba wards as perpetrators of ongoing clan skirmishes in Mandera County.

Abdille, a prominent local figure vying for the senatorial seat, has called for Dr. Ali’s immediate resignation, arguing that such statements from a leader of his stature risk reigniting violence and eroding public trust.

The controversy stems from comments allegedly made by Dr. Ali during a public address in Ashabito on Sunday, where he purportedly blamed the people of Malkamari and Guba wards for orchestrating and executing protracted clashes between communities in the region.

Abdille’s rebuke highlights a pattern of restraint and peace-building efforts by these communities, contrasting sharply with the Deputy Governor’s narrative.

“For the record, I want to remind the Mandera Deputy Governor, in case he has forgotten, that the people of Malkamari and Guba wards voluntarily entered into a peace truce following the deadly clan skirmishes between the Degodia and Garre communities from 2013 to 2017,” Abdille stated in his release.

Osama Rashid Abdille in past event. [Courtesy]

Abdille recounted a specific cross-border incident where two armed men from Ethiopia infiltrated Kenya and killed at least six innocent members of the Garre community. In response, members of the Garre community allegedly retaliated by killing more than nine people in Malkamari.

However, Abdille praised the residents of Malkamari for their proactive role in de-escalation: “To avert further senseless killings, the people of Malkamari took voluntary responsibility to pursue the two murderers, chased them down, and arrested them in Filtu town in Ethiopia.”

He described this as “clear testimony that the people of Malkamari and Guba wards are peace-loving Kenyans, contrary to the unfortunate remarks made by the Deputy Governor of Mandera, Dr. Ali Maalim Mohamud.”

The aspirant further detailed recent events to bolster his argument. Four months ago, he noted, two heavily armed men from the Garre community ambushed Choroqo town, killing at least seven innocent children from the Degodia community.

“It is important to note that the people of Choroqo, and by extension Guba ward, did not retaliate—a clear indication that the residents of both Guba and Malkamari wards are indeed peace-loving,” Abdille said.

UPDATE: Mandera County Deputy Governor faulted for “fanning inter-clan clashes”

●Osama Abdille, a youthful political leader from Banisa Constituency, said remarks made by the Deputy Governor labelling the residents of Malkamari and Guba areas as “warmongers was ill-intended.”… pic.twitter.com/s4vGS2scRJ

— Kulan Post (@kulanpost) September 8, 2025

More recently, just one month ago, two men from Guba ward—members of the Degodia community—were killed by Garre militias. Once again, Abdille pointed out, there was no retaliation, and the situation was swiftly contained, underscoring the community’s dedication to stability.

“This chronology of events clearly paints a picture of a peace-loving community living in Malkamari and Guba wards in Banisa, contrary to the reckless statement made by the DG, Dr. Ali, while in Ashabito on Sunday,” Abdille asserted.

He warned that “such a reckless statement comes from a person of his caliber” and could “erode public trust and may be a recipe for fresh clan skirmishes.”

Abdille did not hold back in linking the Deputy Governor to broader issues of insecurity in Mandera. He claimed that the number of killings between 2022 and 2025 has surpassed those recorded from 2013 to 2022, attributing the surge in clan skirmishes directly to Dr. Ali’s leadership.

“It is against this backdrop that many people attribute the rising clan skirmishes to the current Mandera DG, Dr. Ali,” he said.

In a dramatic escalation, Abdille concluded with a direct call to action: “We call for the immediate resignation of Dr. Ali from the office of the Deputy Governor, as he is not fit to hold office.”

The statement has sparked immediate reactions on social media and among local leaders, with some hailing Abdille’s intervention as a necessary check on inflammatory rhetoric amid Mandera’s fragile ethnic dynamics.

Efforts to reach Dr. Ali’s office for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication. As the region grapples with intermittent violence often fueled by resource disputes and cross-border tensions, Abdille’s remarks underscore the high stakes of political discourse in one of Kenya’s most volatile counties.

Mandera County, located in Kenya’s North Eastern region, has long been a hotspot for clan-based conflicts between groups like the Degodia and Garre, exacerbated by arid conditions, livestock raiding, and proximity to the Ethiopian and Somali borders.

Political aspirants like Abdille, positioning themselves ahead of upcoming elections, are increasingly vocal in addressing these issues to rally support from affected communities.