The North Eastern Regional Commissioner (RC), Mohammed Birik has put chiefs, vetting committees and civil registration officials in Garissa County on notice over what he termed as rampant corruption and abuse of public office.
Birik at the same time, directed area County Commissioner (CC), Meru Mwangi to commence investigations into claims that vetting committees in Garissa and Dadaab solicit bribes in order to clear individuals seeking to acquire ID cards.
“We shall not hesitate to take disciplinary action against anyone using their positions to solicit for bribes in order to offer government services, be they civil servants or elders entrusted with vetting ID cards seekers,” Birik said.
“I will not hesitate to sack and prosecute any government official found to have been implicated in any action contrary to the law,” he added.
Addressing security teams and members of the Nyumba Kumi initiative from the county, Birik warned chiefs and their assistants whose areas of jurisdiction experience persistent insecurity that they risk losing their jobs.
In addition, the RC said civil registration officials who collude with vetting committees and chiefs to issue identification cards to aliens will equally face the law.
He told the Nyumba Kumi committees to work with the recently recruited national police reservists to ensure they keep an eye on strangers in their villages.
The RC thanked wananchi for volunteering information that has assisted in neutralising criminal acts and asked the security agencies to treat information given to them by the wananchi with utmost confidence.
There have been complaints from wananchi that some rogue security officers work with criminals by leaking information volunteered to them hence endanger the lives of informers.
Birik said reports reaching his office indicate that some of the youth from the county are still being radicalized by people believed to be teachers of Duksis and Madrasas.
He asked the chiefs and their assistants to compile data of youth in their areas of jurisdiction especially those who have completed their education.
“Every chief and their assistants should keep track of these youths because they are being targeted by terror groups.”
By Jacob Songok
