Wajir leaders launch plan to fight insecurity

Glaring poverty, ignorance and perpetual tribal fights that have been analogous to Wajir County could be a thing of the past following a grand plan to reinvigorate the area.

Leaders in the region say this involves heavy investment in agriculture, education, infrastructure and routine inter-communal exchanges.

Wajir West Member of Parliament Abdikadir Ore, the driver of this plot, says his rough childhood life compelled him to come up with the strategy that will not only make Wajir residents secure but also economically independent.

"Lack of food, inaccessibility to health care, shaky education facilities and insecurity are the main challenges facing us. This has been worsened by perpetual drought, which has seen residents lose their livestock," Mr Ore told The Standard.

Indeed, this is the area that witnessed what critics say is the "greatest transitional justice issues" following the mass killing of ethnic Somalis, allegedly by Kenyan security forces in Wajir District.

Perhaps the most stubborn challenge in Wajir has been the cross-border clashes in Marsabit and Isiolo that has not only claimed hundreds of lives in the past years, but also thousands of livestock. The problem, according to residents, has been as a result of lack of enough water and pasture for livestock in Wajir.

But even with the horrifying scars, Mr Ore says he is determined to bring a lasting change in the area. "It is from drawing experience from our past challenges that we can build a better Wajir. We are on course to making this area habitable to everyone."

Since he took office last year, the Wajir West MP says he has instituted a strong team of elders from Marsabit and Isiolo sides, which he meets routinely to discuss water and pasture issues.

"I took it as a personal initiative because it is sometimes hard to manage pastoralists. I have so far met Isiolo elders and their elected leaders four times. We now have an agreement in place on how the feuding communities (Gabbra and Borana) would be sharing water and pasture.

The 41-year-old legislator says a similar initiative has been launched in Marsabit.

"What we are looking forward to is making these communities co-exist. It is possible. In partnership with the County Government of Wajir, we are erecting the necessary infrastructure to boost business. This will ultimately empower them economically," said Mr Ore 

Beyond the inter-community peace agreements, the MP says 12 water points have been created to ensure constant supply of water to the locals. A borehole and three huge dams have also been dug up to ensure continuous supply of water in the area.

"This water will be used for irrigation so as to wean our people from overreliance on livestock. It will offer an alternative income source through the cultivation of vegetables, watermelon, among other fast-growing crops, and thus minimise competition for pasture," he said.

The determined legislator says his office is working tirelessly to also empower women and the youths in the area by offering them with contracts through Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects. "We have also laid a plan to ensure that those with entrepreneurial skills exploit them fully. We will then link such brains with the market," he told The Standard.

To inculcate these business skills and other critical skills needed by the community, Mr Ore says he has dedicated about 90 per cent of the CDF money to go into education. "We are creating centres of excellence. Wajir will no longer tolerate underperformance for are erecting necessary structures, staff motivation, among others to boost education."