Unending, inter-clan wars divide Marsabit residents

By ALI ABDI

Despite efforts by the National Government to bring together warring communities, many  residents are still discontented at the county level.

In February this year, President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed former National Assembly Speaker Francis ole Kaparo and Garissa Senator Yussuf Haji to spearhead peace efforts in volatile Marsabit, with the County Government being threatened with disbandment should the leaders not put their house in order.

Hundreds of lives and property worth millions of shillings had been lost and an estimated 50,000 people displaced in the Moyale Sub-County in a bloody inter-clan gun battle that took the shape of how the locals voted in last year’s General Election.

The National Government donated Sh400 million towards peace building and helping families scarred by the war, pitting rival Gabra and Burji on one side and the Borana on the other.

The Borana (mostly Jubilee), who are the single largest tribe at about 45 per cent of the approximately 270,000 population, lost key positions, including that of the gubernatorial seat, to the alliance that also included the Rendille and Somali clan of Garre (CORD) in an outfit called Regabu. The Kaparo-Haji committee held several meetings with all the leaders from the warring sides in Nairobi, visited the scenes of clashes and came up with several recommendations.

Peace building

The leaders also met President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto. It was, among other things, resolved that the Sh400 million would be used to help the victims while the County Government, NGOs and other partners would chip in to help in peace building and rehabilitation of the victims’ families.

The county leadership was also asked to strive and bring dissatisfied communities on board in accordance with the Constitution and consult with their leaders. Three months down the line, the leadership is still not on talking terms, while locals are still divided, despite, the Kaparo-team releasing Sh170 million to help the families affected by the conflict in Moyale last Tuesday.

Some of the leaders has faulted the way the balance of Sh230 victims has so far been spent by the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination.

The leaders, led by MPs Roba Duba (Moyale), say the bulk of the money was mostly used on a programme that was neither prioritised nor in the initial plan as agreed by stakeholders.

Prior to the release of the Sh170 million, Duba questioned how the entire amount was spent, while about 50,000 people were still camping in Ethiopia.

NGO sources in Marsabit also expressed concern, saying in their February meeting in Nairobi, it was agreed that the money be entrusted with the Kenya Red Cross Society, which will spearhead the programme.

‘‘In Nairobi, we agreed on three major components: first and most important was rebuilding of structures destroyed in the clashes and to a smaller degree, provision of relief food and non-food items.

The National Government was also to take charge of restoring security,’’ said Duba.

However, sources from Marsabit revealed that millions of shillings had been allocated from the kitty to security personnel in Moyale, a move that was heavily criticised by the leaders and NGOs. ‘‘I do not know how much, but I know a big amount had been allocated to the security department in the area. This is not right because the security team, including the army has its own budget when they were deployed (to Moyale),’’ said the MP.

Reliable sources indicate the money was also allocated to the departments of Education, Health and Water among others, with civil servants being in charge of the kitty. However, the allocation to the departments of Water and Health, point out that the area has adequate water while the health centres have enough medicine. On the ground, residents say no peace effort has been initiated, while the County Government has not moved to bring on board those it left out on employment and tendering of services.

Matters came out into the public to glare recently when hundreds of Marsabit town residents staged a protest march to the local National and County governments’ headquarters, alleging that the County Government had marginalised them.

However, the protesters, mainly drawn from the Borana community in Saku Constituency, where the headquarters is located, were blocked by security personnel drawn from the Regular and Administration Police from accessing the buildings during the peaceful Friday march.

Their representatives handed a detailed petition to Assistant County Commissioner Bernard Keli after they were told the County Commissioner, Peter Thuku and his deputy in Marsabit Central, Kipchumba Rutto were not in office.

The petition was written to President Kenyatta with copies to the local County Government, the Senate and National Assembly alleging that Marsabit County Government had locked them out from benefits accruing from the devolved Government based on the way they voted in last year’s General Election.

Addressing the Press outside the gates of the two offices, they accused the County Government of alleged marginalisation of the Borana community.

‘‘We are the single most largest tribe in the county at about 45 per cent, but we have been given about five per cent of positions in this Government. There is nowhere in this world this is practiced,’’ said Boru Wama, Saku Borana Council of Elders Chairman.

Partisan politics

Mr Wama gave the breakdown of appointments at the County Government as follows: ‘‘The Gabra, who are about 75,000 got 48 positions, the Rendille, with 65,000 people have 22 positions, the Burji with 6,000 people got 15 positions while the Borana with 110,000 people have seven representatives’’.

Qabale Tache, an HIV/Aids activists said those living with the virus have also been affected by partisan politics in the county, claiming that the group had not been given relief food.

‘‘The people living with HIV/Aids have also been caught in the bad politics of Marsabit County. They used to get food from the National Government but since last year, they have not received any kind of assistance from the County Government,’’ said an emotional Tache.

Galm Doyo, chairman of Baliti University Association said the students and youth from the community had also been given a raw deal, alleging they had not benefited from bursary, while those who completed studies are discriminated in employment.

The elders said the county administration led by Governor Ukur Yattani (ODM) had failed to honour an accord reached by warring sides in Marsabit conflict in February where it was agreed that leaders consult each other on all issues including employment.

‘‘As per the Boma agreement (the venue of the accord), Marsabit leaders unanimously agreed among others that employment at Sub-County levels be done in consultation with respective MPs, but this had been ignored,’’ said Peter Galma, a village elder from Saku.

Saku MP Ali Rasso (URP) agreed with the sentiments of his constituents. While appointments of Sub County and ward administrators among others had been completed at North Horr, Moyale and Laisamis, the protesters said the recruitment in Borana-dominated Saku had not been carried out. The protesters said this was due to differences between Mr Yattani and Rasso, who hails from the Borana dominated Saku Constituency.

Mr Keli who received the petition in presence of the Marsabit Central security committee members promised the group representatives that he would hand over the document to the relevant authorities. County Assembly Speaker Mathew Loltome said he would comment after receiving the petition while the Governor did not respond to calls and a short text message sent to him.