Mandera Governor Roba hails devolution, decries insecurity
Mandera Governor Ali Roba who has said that devolution has transformed the north eastern county in the last five years despite rampant insecurity. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mandera has suffered countless Al-Shabaab terror attacks spilling over from neighbouring Somalia.
- According to the governor, 209 terror cases were reported in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.
- Mr Roba said his administration has set up 216 ECDE centres and employed at least 300 teachers.
Mandera Governor Ali Roba has said devolution has transformed the north eastern county in the last five years despite rampant insecurity.
Mr Roba was speaking over the weekend at a Mandera Hotel during a county dialogue forum on the effects of devolution.
However, the governor blamed insecurity for the slow realisation of development in the far-flung parts of the county.
Mandera has suffered countless Al-Shabaab terror attacks spilling over from neighbouring Somalia.
“Despite the insecurity challenges in our county, we have achieved our goal in the past five years and we have our eyes set on the next five years,” he said.
TERROR ATTACKS
According to the governor, 209 terror cases were reported in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.
“As a county government, we are supplementing the security efforts by paying the police reservists and hired vehicles for patrols,” he said.
The governor said the health sector has improved significantly after new hospitals were built and staffed within the past five years.
“We inherited 152 health workers but we currently have 883 medical workers. We have opened 63 new health facilities,” Mr Roba said.
He said maternal mortality rate has reduced from the initial 3,785 cases to 588 within the first five years of devolution.
ECDE CENTRES
Mr Roba said his administration has set up 216 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres and employed at least 300 teachers.
He said the county government in collaboration with the national government and the African Development Bank is constructing a Sh2.4 billion water supply system for Mandera Town.
Mandera County Assembly Speaker Mohamed Khalif appealed for cooperation between the executive and the legislature.
The relationship between the executive and assembly in Mandera is strained after all nominees for executive jobs were rejected late last year in an assembly session characterised by fist-fighting.
Governor Roba is yet to present a new list to the assembly as required by law as the nominees remain in office following a court order.
