Six petitioners apply for the suspension of Wajir County over corruption allegations

By: Abdikadir Okash (@abdikadirokash)

NAIROBI—Six Wajir County residents have petitioned the county government of Wajir to the senate, accusing the administration of corruption and mismanagement of public resources. They want the President to suspend the county.

The petitioners yesterday presented their application to the Senate Committee on Finance headed by Mandera County Senator, Billow Kerrow. The petitioners requested the committee to direct the Controller of Budget and theNational Treasury to stop the supply of funds to Wajir County government.

The constitution allows the President to suspend a county government in the face of emergency arising out of internal conflict and other exceptional circumstances.

The petitioners seeking to suspend the release of cash to the county government are Mahammed Abikar, Abdi Abdinur, Abdifatah Diriye, Amed Sabdow, Abukari Sheikh and Johara Hussein.

Mohamed Abikar is the chairman of Wajir Anti-Corruption and Justice Forum (Wajuf) that had accused the Wajir county government of runaway corruption.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Kerrow assured that all parties mentioned in the petition would be summoned. Among them is the county governor of Wajir, Ahmed Abdullahi, The Comptroller of budget and officials from the Treasury in a bid to determine the case.

Earlier last month, four members of Parliament from Wajir County blasted the lobby group Wajuf, accusing the group of seeking to reverse the gains made in devolution.

Trabaj Member of Parliament, Mohamed Elmi cautioned the group against making “outrageous” claims while defending the governor against the grave allegations made on a paid advert published on the national dailies.

[From left] Wajir East Mp Abass Sheikh, Senator Olow, Tarbaj MP Elmi and Wajir South Mp Abdullahi Diriye at the event in Wajir

Similar sentiment were echoed by Wajir East MP, Abass Sheikh who called on the group to raise their concern in a proper channel, saying name-calling on national newspaper was not the best way to handle a political problem.

“You do not expect the county government to react to your concerns when you choose a wrong channel,” he said.
The lobby group November vowed to expose more corruption and mismanagement in the running of the county government.

Wajir Governor (Right) Ahmed Abdullahi and his deputy Abdihafidh Yarow (left)

The governor, in his Madaraka Day speech at Moi Stadium in Wajir, called the group “a gun for hire”, saying they were being used by unnamed MP from the county to settle a political score.