Some three or so months ago, Mandera County governor Cpt Ali Ibrahim Roba convened a retreat for his members of the County executive and MCAs in Diani,Kwale county.The retreat sought to strengthen the bond between the two arm of the County government that was on the brink of fallout mainly due to the selfish nature of our mostly unlettered MCAs and our mainly technocrat but similarly corrupt members of the County executive. Among the agenda of the retreat was sharing a chunk of the County loot with the young but greedy MCAs. That ended the simmering feud and sealed the ‘Kwale Agreement.’
Three days ago, the overwhelmingly angered gluttonous MCAs convened ‘a Kamakunji’ style meeting in Mandera town and strategised to mob-lynch Governor Cpt Ali Ibrahim Roba since they believed he has reneged on the ‘Kwale agreement’ by by-passing them in contracts and tendering process. Governor Ali Roba found himself in the hands of the ISIL-like (Islamic States in Iraq & the Levant) local elected militias each jostling for a fraction of the County spoilt for himself and respective clans. Sadly,Governor Roba’s hands caved in and bowed to the demand of the world’s only elected legislative militias. Where were they when the Mandera county referral hospital nearly collapsed due to poor services and mismanagement? Where were they when insecurity skyrocketed and competed with the stars in the sky? Where were they when corrupt cartels sold water to the unsuspecting victims of famine? Where were they when the Public Service Board handpicked individuals? Did any of them raised important debate in the assembly or passed any beneficial bill?
Today, I am more bitter than ever before. I blame myself; I blame the council of elder. No the council of errors! I blame the Mandera county Members of Parliament. I blame Senator Billow Aden Kerrow for his silence on this mess. We are asking: does your silence means a tactical approval for the hyena’s feasting on our resources?
Mandera needs a vibrant civil society more than ever before. Business won’t go on like this. Governor Roba must support this initiative for his own political safety. Senator Kerrow must support this. It is moral obligation for every God fearing Manderian to support this
