Pastoralist leaders say community will support referendum in one condition

Garissa Township MP, Aden Duale (left) Deputy President William Ruto (centre) and Garissa governor (right) at the pastoralist summit in Garissa.

GARISSA—The leadership of ten counties are meeting in Garissa for a two-day summit on pastoral development and show of unity.

Dupped “The Pastoralist Leadership Summit” the governors, senators, legislatures and members of the county assembly from Turkana, Elegeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Isiolo, Marsabit, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Lamu, Tana River and pokot counties are meeting for the third time.

The leaders said unity was neccesitated by continuous clamour for constitutional change while taking the pastoral views for granted.

“When we speak as individual counties, it means nothing but when we make a statement through Frontier Counties and Pastoralist Parliamentary Group, out statement will be taken seriously,” Governor Josephat Nanok of Turkana County said.

However, other leaders warned of turning the summit into political platform.

“We should talk abouts subjects that will benefit our people who are marginalised. Such thing as developing the infrastructure of the Kenya Meat Commission and livestock marketing solutions,”Mandera County Speaker Mohamed Adan Khalif  said.

CENSUS, CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE AND BOUNDARIES

Majority Leader and Garissa Township legislator, Aden Duale said pastoralist communitiess should not feel threatened in the upcoming census, maintaining that the real number of the people would be captured.

“The time when the pastoral communities were just followers is over. We will make our own decision and decide our political destiny in our best interest,”Duale said.

Mandera governor Ali Roba said calls for constitutional change are empty, stating that the proponents have not stated it’s defect.

“A man was once asked to marry a second wife. He asked: ‘What’s wrong with my first wife?

Tell us what is wrong with this constitutional for us to see the sense in your quest,”Roba said.

“The only (constitutional) change we will support is the one that will commit more funding to our counties, Nanok added.

The deputy president William Ruto opened the summit with a speech from the president.