Members of Garissa County assembly have urged area Governor Ali Korane to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the runaway insecurity following the recent terror attacks in Saretho and Kamuthe that claimed the lives of four pupils and three teachers respectively.
Addressing the press at County Assembly compound, the MCAs expressed disappointment at the comments by the North Eastern Regional Commissioner Nicodemus Ndalana that there was conspiracy between the militants and the locals in the recent terror attacks in the region.
When he addressed the press in his office on Monday, Ndalana said that it was not possible for the militants to come all the way from the border to Kamuthe which is over 100 kilometres without the involvement of the locals.
The MCAs termed the remarks as ‘unfortunate’ since residents are victims of terror and the government is falling to the tricks of militant groups.
“We challenge the government to act on intelligence given by the locals because they have been providing timely information instead of profiling them in the face of terror activities,” said Damajaley MCA Diriye Bare.
Bare said the terror attacks in the county and the region at large has affected all sectors especially education and health since their staff have become targets of the Somalia-based militants.
The militants on Monday morning raided Kamuthe about 50 kms from Garissa town and shot dead three male non-locals while injuring one. In a rare occurrence the attackers spared female teachers and a nurse. They also razed the police post block and destroyed Safaricom mast.
The region has witnessed increased terror attacks targeting mostly non-local teachers and security officers.
Bare who is also county assembly’s education committee chairman said a crisis meeting should be convened to discuss ways to restore security in the region.
“As local leaders we request the county government to come up with localized mechanism to contain the runaway insecurity that is threatening to cripple the education sector,” Bare said.
Hulugho Ward MCA Adow Omar said it was time to find a local solution to the menace adding that education in the region ‘is now grounded as non-local teachers threaten to leave’.
The MCA said recalling non local teachers from Ijara, Hulugho, Fafi and Dadaab sub-counties ‘is ill-advised’ and the government should have beefed up security in all corners of the region.
Omar blamed Teachers Service Commission for taking to court the affirmative action plan that would have allowed local students to pursue teaching with lower grades.
“Some of those students would have helped in situations like this. The government must stop blaming locals on matters of security and enhance their surveillance,” he said.
By Jacob Songok
