Kitui East MP, Nimrod Mbai wants Kitui County Commissioner (CC), John Odengo transferred for allegedly failing to restore security in peripheral areas of the county prone to attacks by Somali camel herders.
Addressing a press conference in Mwingi town on Friday, Mbai said some of his electorate and also those in Kitui South constituency were living in makeshift IDP camps after they fled from their homes due to recurrent attacks by the Somalis yet Odengo was not able to address the problem.
“Mutha, Endau and Kyamatu areas have been under recurrent attacks by Somali camel herders killing and injuring some of the residents. Government representatives led by Cabinet Secretary Fred Matingi, Inspector General of Police and head of DCI, DPP and also Parliamentary Security Committee visited the area two weeks ago but nothing has been done,” the legislator said.
He added that despite the top government security officers promising that action would be taken to end the attacks, a teacher and a businessman were last week killed in Mutomo and Endau respectively while people were still in IDPs camps at Imuumba and Musenge and schools had not been reopened as the visiting officers directed.
“The CC has not even visited the IDPs camps or attended the burials to condole with the bereaved. He has not even enforced CS Matiang’i’s directive that children must go back to school,” he said.
“If he is not transferred by Wednesday next week, we will transport the displaced people and children who are out of school and dump them at his official residence at Kitui town. He will have to feed them himself,” threatened the MP.
He said that due to the insecurity, he could not risk to urge the IDPs to go to their homes lest they be killed in cold blood by the herders.
“In the 21st century, people especially women and children should not undergo the suffering of living in the bush, it is unacceptable,” he said.
But Ondego denied the accusation level against him by the MP, saying it was apparent that the MP had a personal grudge against him and wondered why Mbai displayed such immense hatred against him.
“I am transferable and he should only ask for my transfer if he thinks that can solve the insecurity problem,” said the County Commissioner when we reached him on phone.
The CC clarified that he had visited the insecurity prone areas in the company of the county security team.
Ondego pointed out that security had been restored while the hostile Somali camel herders had been driven out of the affected areas.
He said learning had also resumed in schools after security officers were physically station at the schools to ensure the security.
By Denson Mututo
