Armed Somali herders interrupt governors' meeting in Kitui
BY MWINGI TIMES TEAM
A group of nomadic herdsmen from North Eastern region disrupted a devolution meeting at the border of Kitui and Tana River counties on Tuesday, October 11, 2016. The meeting was convened by two governors to continue a devolution torch Caravan initiated by the Council of Governors.
Kitui governor Julius Malombe and his Wajir
counterpart Ahmed Abdullahi were forced to cut short the meeting held at
Katumba area along Mwingi-Garissa highway in Mwingi Central constituency after
the irate herders forced their way to the Dias.
The nomads were reportedly angered by the presence
of Wajir governor alleging that there could have been a plan with the Kitui
county leadership to extend the border and therefore displace them along with
their livestock.
Governor Abdullahi tried in vain to cool down the
rising tensions in the Somali dialect but the herders could hardly listen
prompting him to hurriedly hand over the devolution torch to Dr Malombe.
A small contingent of police officers manning the
meeting worked with restrain to pacify the herders who were armed with sticks
and stones. The agitated Somali herders at
one time seemed to overwhelm the police and continued to surge towards where
the leaders were sitting.
The meeting dispatched hastily with governor Malombe
calling for peaceful coexistence between the herdsmen and the locals.
In the last two months tension has been high in the
area leading to conflict between the herders and the locals over diminishing
water and pasture prompting police to beef up security in the area.
The governors asked the national assembly to desist
from enacting laws that seemed to interfere with devolution services since in
the last four years the units have shaped the lives of the rural populace.
“Nobody, not even the National government should
intimidate devolution, instead they
should work together with the people to
strengthen it because Kenyans in the grassroots been touched by devolution services which have been brought
close to them,” Dr Malombe said.
He said his government has initiated over 4000 life
changing development projects distributed evenly across the 40 wards. He said given support, the devolved
governments will realize enormous development.
Mr Malombe lauded the devolution caravan which he
said will enable the people across the 47 counties to appreciate fruits of the
2010 constitution.
Mr Abdullahi echoed governor Malombe’s sentiments
adding that governors will unite under their council of governors’ forum to
ensure peaceful elections in 2017.
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