Clashes point to dispute between Godhana, Haji

By Alex Ndegwa

As tension remains high in Tana Delta, a dispute over boundary between Tana River and Garissa counties early this year in Parliament offers a glimpse into genesis of the crisis.

Defence minister Yusuf Haji pressed for elimination of land barrier so that the river marks the boundary between the two counties.

He proposed the point where Tana River County borders Ijara constituency to the west.

But MPs Dhadho Godhana (Galole), Abdi Nuh (Bura) and Danson Mungatana (Garsen) opposed the proposal, arguing it was an unconstitutional attempt to amend the boundary of Tana River County.

Instead, they wanted the status quo maintained with the boundary between Tana River and Garissa counties being the three-mile strip across the river to the west of Ijara Constituency.

The Justice and Legal Affairs committee had recommended the western border of Ijara Constituency be shifted from the three-mile strip to Tana River.

The committee detailed the amendment in its report on the proposed boundaries of constituencies and wards by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. The amendment was, however, defeated. Debate on the report in Parliament on February 29 was heated with Haji and Godhana exchanging bitter words. Haji recounted how the boundary of Garissa, including Ijara, was shifted to three kilometres away from the river during the Lancaster House constitutional talks.

The minister emphasised the world over, physical features like rivers and mountains were recognised as boundaries.

Peace meetings

“All I am asking is that justice should be done. We should be treated like Kenyans and be allowed access to the river just like the people of Tana River so that the boundary becomes the river,” Haji said.

At one point, Godhana interjected claiming the adjustment moved the border from five to three kilometres away in favour of cushites.

“Even the areas that he is talking about, Ijara, Fafi, Hulugho, and Jarajira are not even names that are known to Somalis. These are names which belong to Ormas,” Godhana said. “He (Haji) needs to go back and revise his history. What he is telling this House is totally misleading and unacceptable,” he added. Haji replied: “I am not going to argue with somebody who does not know history.”

Late last month, the two engaged in a war of words following the massacre of 52 people in a dawn attack at Rekite Village in Tana River County.

First, Haji, who is also acting Internal Security minister, told Parliament he had ordered police to investigate Godhana over his alleged role in Tana Delta clashes.

Haji, who said the attacks were politically instigated, noted the Livestock Assistant minister had ignored peace meetings involving local leaders.

But the following day, Godhana denied he was behind the deadly clashes and instead demanded that Haji too be investigated over the violence.

Godhana claimed he could not attend peace meetings chaired by the minister because he was an interested party in the Tana Delta crisis. Meanwhile, the attacks pitting the Pokomo against the Orma have become deadlier. The Pokomo are agriculturists and farm along River Tana, which is the only source of water for animals of the Orma, who are pastoralists.

The Pokomo complain Orma’s animals destroy their crops while the Orma blame their neighbours of blocking access to the river.

Passionate appeal

In 2002, at least 100 people were butchered in the Pokomo-Orma clashes. Nuh sparked the debate in Parliament in February with the amendment proposing deletion of the words “the western border of Ijara constituency shall be Tana River” appearing in the committee report. “In the report, it was shown that Ijara’s boundary should be shifted from the three-mile strip that is colonially set for the boundaries between the former Coast Province and North Eastern,” Nuh said. He acknowledged the recommendation arose from fears of disputes over watering points.

But Nuh explained there were skirmishes over watering points even among communities living in Tana River District because of agrarian and livestock conflict.

He suggested such disputes be addressed through laws that will