No chrismass at home for non locals in Mandera

Makah express company one of the buses that plys Mandera-Nairobi route. ( Photo courtesy)

Fred Shisia, the Mandera county commissioner said the government could not guarantee the security of non locals using wajir Mandera road on November this year.

A week earlier 12 police officers who was escorting a bus were attacked and narrowly escaped death.

Hundreds of non locals who live and work in Mandera are now calling for security from the national government so that they can travel out of Mandera.

Some who spoke to Kulan post said that banning non locals from using public transport has left them stranded in Mandera.

“Majority of us from other parts of the country who are  working or do business here in Mandera are stranded because the government has refused to secure the roads,” said one of them

He said the government had neglected them— and made them feel like non-citizens.

“It is Christmas months but we cannot travel and join our families back at home to celebrate together just because the government cannot give us  our right to security,” he said.

Another option to get out of Mandera is by air, at Sh15,000 a ticket.

“Most of us are casual workers in the quarries, working as house helps or doing small-scale businesses here. We can’t afford those expensive rides,” said Dennis King’ang’i from Kitui.

Yesterday, hundreds of non-locals in Mandera staged demos to make the government  provide armed police escort to buses plying Mandera-Nairobi route.

Currently, only passengers of Somali origin are allowed in the buses, with owners saying they are under strict instructions not to ferry any non-local.