A section of Members of the Garissa County Assembly (MCAs) now claim that the executive arm is out to intimidate them to hush up exposure of ills within the administration.
Talking to KNA on phone on behalf his colleagues today, Jarajila Ward MCA Mahat Osman said they will not be cowed into silence.
Osman alleged that the executive was using hired goons to ‘harass and silence them whenever they tour projects they have raised concern over the manner of implementation’.
On Sunday, five MCAs from Fafi were allegedly attacked by goons at Alinjugur where they had gone on tour of development projects.
The assailants reportedly injured a local television journalist who had accompanied the MCAs together with a police officer who was off duty.
According to a police report filed at Hagadera police station, MCAs Mahat Osman (Jarajila), Hassan Halane (Fafi), Hassan Omar (Nanighi), Yussuf Omar (Galmagalla) and Abdulahi Omar of Bura ward were attacked while at the Jarajila ward representative’s homestead.
The attack was booked as a robbery with violence incident in the occurrence book. The leaders called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident.
“Those who attacked us are well known individuals. Some of them are employees of the county who were sent by the County government to intimidate elected leaders,” Osman said.
He claimed the gangsters were travelling in a vehicle they hired from Garissa town with the sole purpose of attacking them.
“We demand full investigations into this incident and the immediate arrest of those involved,” he added.
Osman said as elected leaders representing their electorate at the ward level they will not stop pointing out what the county government has failed to do.
“Governor Ali Korane-led administration has disappointed all those who elected him into office with high expectations,” he alleged.
“We had finished our work the previous day and we were preparing to leave for Garissa town when these people came from nowhere and started attacking us with blows and kicks as well as crude weapons,” said Television journalist Mohamed Moge who works with Star Television Network (STN), a Somali vernacular TV station.
The MCAs have in recent weeks criticized Korane’s administration over what they termed as mismanagement of county funds.
A week ago, the leaders claimed that flagship projects including a Cancer center, sub-county lodges, County headquarters, and 30 ICT centers amongst others, have stalled despite receiving funding.
Contacted County Secretary Abdi Sheikh said he was not aware of any county official having been implicated in incident in question.
“As far as I am concerned my staff members are either staying at home as part of guidelines to limit the spread of Covid-19 or are involved in providing essential service,” Abdi said.
By Jacob Songok
