Mandera elders say they will ‘punish’ MPs who missed Madaraka celebrations
Mandera Governor Ali Roba (left) and Mandera Deputy County Commissioner Fredrick Ayeicko during Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, 2015. Elders from the county warned they would in the next elections "punish" MPs who missed the celebrations. PHOTO MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The elders said it was wrong for the elected leaders to abandon the county “at its hour of need”.
- The county has suffered a spate of terrorist attacks that have left many people dead.
- A source close to Governor Ali Roba said the seven MPs and the senator boycotted the celebrations on the grounds that a county executive had swindled money meant for development.
- Efforts to reach Senator Billow Kerrow and the Woman Representative Fathia Mahbub for a comment on the allegations bore no fruit
Elders from Mandera County have warned MPs who missed Monday’s Madaraka Day celebrations that they would be punished.
The elders said it was wrong for the elected leaders to abandon the county “at its hour of need”.
“We have the wrong MPs this time round and we shall make corrections come the next elections.
"It is more prudent for us to work with the governor and the national government to defeat terrorism in Mandera.
“They (MPs) are hiding in Nairobi making a lot of noise from there when development is on course in Mandera and we advise them that they better change their ways early enough,” said Mr Mohamed Gesse, who represented the elders.
The county has suffered a spate of terrorist attacks that have left many people dead.
A source close to Governor Ali Roba said the seven MPs and the senator boycotted the celebrations on the grounds that a county executive had embezzled money meant for development through dubious tendering processes.
SENATOR UNREACHABLE
“There was a problem last week in a Nairobi hotel where leaders came to a near fight,” said the source who requested not be named.
Efforts to reach Senator Billow Kerrow and the Woman Representative Fathia Mahbub for a comment on the allegations bore no fruit as calls made to them went unanswered.
In his Madaraka Day address, Mr Roba said some leaders were inciting the public against his government and termed them as enemies of development.
“We are facing spirited opposition from other leaders calling our good projects misplaced priorities and they have moved to the courts with the sole purpose of delaying service delivery to the public,” said Mr Roba.
He added that the same leaders have taken to social media spreading falsehoods to paint the county in bad light.
“We don’t have a problem with people exercising their democratic right of self-expression and we don’t mind being asked genuine questions on accountability but not through social media,” said the governor.
He said most leaders had turned to cyberbullying which is threatening to divide the county.
Mandera Township Member of County Assembly Feisal Abdinoor Issack said MCAs were solidly behind the governor and they would support him.
