KENYA: Members of Wajir County Assembly have dismissed a petition filed at the Senate by a group of Wajir residents seeking dissolution of the county.
The county lawmakers said the petition which seeks to have the process of dissolving the county started was not in the interest of area residents.
They further wondered why the petitioners had not moved their complaints to the county assembly, saying the issues being raised against the administration of Governor Ahmed Abdullahi would be best handled at the local assembly.
Assembly Majority leader Mohamed Muhumed accused the group of trying to discredit Wajir County and using illegal means to have the county dissolved. Muhumed accused the group's leader Mohamed Abikar of orchestrating falsehoods to fight leaders both at the county and national levels.
The members of the lobby group presented a petition at the senate accusing the administration of Governor Ahmed Abdullahi of misappropriating public funds and lack of equality in recruiting county staff.
"Mohamed Abikar and his team are known political brokers for hire. In 2002 he was used by politicians to initiate a lobby against President Uhuru Kenyatta when he contested for the Presidency. Abikar chaired the lobby called "Operation Anti Uhuru- OAU," said Mohamed while displaying a poster of a campaign said to have been initiated by Mr Abikar in 2002 against President Uhuru Kenyatta's bid then for the presidency .
The county assembly members called on the group that filed the petition at the senate to table their grievances at the county assembly if they have genuine complaints against the executive. They accused two local politicians of using the lobby group to blackmail the county assembly and the executive.
"We know that there are two politicians who are using these brokers to file what they are purporting to be a petition at the senate. Their interest is to arm twist both the assembly and the executive of this county," said Yunis Hudow, Malkagufu MCA.
Ibrahim Urey ward MCA Osman Abdille said the petition was an attempt to divert public attention at the county from the ongoing flagship projects.
"I read mischief in this thing (petition). The main talk of Wajir town is about the ongoing road tamarcking project and some politicians want to divert the public's attention to discredit want the current administration is doing," said Osman.
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