Youthful auditor has formula against Tana River’s Dado

The youthful Strathmore University-trained auditor could pass for an ordinary Tana River herdsman.

Dressed in stripped kikoi and a long-sleeved checked shirt, Mr Jillo Algi sat on a plastic seat in a local hotel with a table in front facing the camera for 45 minutes to explain why he wants to unseat his boss-turned-foe.

Since his unexpected resignation as the Finance minister two years ago, Mr Algi, 33, has become a thorn in the flesh of Governor Hussein Dado.

A FAILURE
Mr Algi was born when Mr Dado was a powerful district commissioner in the then-Baringo district during the President Daniel arap Moi era.

Also astonishing is his decision to pick rather a political novice, Mr Issack Hussein, 27, from Bura Constituency as his running mate in the August 8 elections.

In his address he mentioned the incumbent more than five times, dismissing him as a proven failure who had “underperformed and lacked new ideas to transform” the arid and semi-arid county.

He described the other aspirants as “equally a batch of failed leaders” who cannot rescue the 262,684 residents from the cocoon of poverty.

“All the other people vying for this position have been tested and failed. I am of much value to the Tana River people,” Mr Algi of Party for Development and Reforms (PDR) said.

LAND ISSUE
He was referring to Mr Dado and former MPs Nuhu Abdi (Bura), Mr Dhadho Godhana (Galole) and Mr Danson Mungatana (Garsen).

Dr Nuhu, the Tana River County Assembly Speaker, is vying on a Wiper ticket and Mr Godhana and Mr Mungatana on ODM and Patriotic Party of Kenya(PPK), respectively.

Mr Algi accused the incumbent for failure to address land adjudication.

“We have a 85 per cent poverty rate. We want to change the lifestyle of our people,” Mr Algi said.

FOOD INSECURITY
Mr Algi said if elected he will fully implement his manifesto — which has five pillars — health, education, water, agriculture and land.

He said adding value to land through proper adjudication is key to addressing food insecurity through communal irrigation.

It would also reduce poverty and increase occupancy of land from the current 40 per cent of the 35,375.8-square kilometre county, he added.

He lamented that most of the land was idle while residents are concentrated along the river bank, pilling excess pressure on the Tana Delta wetland and turning it into an epicentre of perennial conflicts pitting farmers against herders.

“We want to open the hinterland with mega dams to release the pressure on the river bank,” Mr Algi said.

HEALTH AND EDUCATION
He also promised residents a low-cost housing programme, saying: “We have developed sustainable smart villages concept.”

Mr Algi said his administration would set up a scholarship and bursary programme for students from secondary school to university.

He would also ensure that there were 500 doctors and the same number of trained teachers in the county.

On health, Mr Algi decried: “It’s a big shame that, despite health being a devolved function, we are sitting on billions of shillings while there is no functioning maternity in the county.

“We still refer cases to Kilifi County. We will build fully fledged health facilities in each of our sub-counties.”

A SPOILER
He promised a modern livestock programme that will cross-breed Aberdeen cattle with the local Borana for commercial milk and meat production.

Mr Algi, who also worked with respected audit firm Deloitte Kenya, said he resigned from the county over “personal, professional and ideological differences” with other officers.

Described by former county government colleagues as a professional, he has however found it hard to convince a majority of his Orma tribesmen, who view him as spoiler to Mr Dado’s bid.

“I am rather their liberator not a spoiler. They need to give me a chance and try me because the incumbent is more than a failure,” he explained.