Leaders from the troubled Mandera
County have embarked on a series of meetings to restore the
image of the county that has suffered several terrorist
attacks in the past few months.
The leaders from political,
religious and business circles have resolved to have
operation Okoa Mandera to save the county from the mass
exodus of civil servants that is being witnessed after the
killing of non-locals and non-Muslims
by the Al-Shabaab militants.
Speaking at a public baraza on
Monday, Mandera County Governor Ali Roba said time had come
for the people of Mandera to defend their county and the
nation at large.
“Our county’s economy is under
threat and we are saying time to save it is now.
"We are from today going to stop
giving general information to the security agencies and give
specific information so that Al-Shabaab can be dealt with.
“The terrorists have put sanctions
on the people of this county because we have welcomed them
and we are now asking the National Government to clean up
the town,” said Mr Roba.
20 HEALTH FACILITIES CLOSED
The governor said 20 health
facilities have already been closed in the county after
health workers left the facilities fearing for their lives.
Mr Roba called on the public to
volunteer information to the authorities as one of the
measures for improving security.
“More than 150 teachers have
applied for transfers from this county because of insecurity
but before schools re-open early next year we have to make
corrections so that our children can learn and the sick get
treated. If we don’t cooperate and fight Al-Shabaab, it is
our children who will suffer the most,” said Mr Roba.
The governor condemned the attacks
adding that no religion supported the killing of anyone.
“These are drug addicts who are
using religion to carry out terrorist activities and we have
to be vigilant enough to know who is who and when renting
our houses in town it’s good to keep records of our tenants.
“We have reached our elastic limit
of tolerance and we want to see youths form vigilante groups
to help the police in dealing with the terrorist groups,” he
said.
Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow said:
“Let’s all join hands in fighting Al-Shabaab by giving the
right information to the security agencies.
Al-Shabaab has always claimed
whenever they kill people that they are helping Kenyan
Muslims when the Muslims inside Somalia are more troubled
than the Kenyan ones.”
Other leaders who spoke were North
Eastern Regional Coordinator Ernest Munyi who said the only
way to restore security was to cooperate with security
agencies and embrace the Nyumba Kumi security initiative.
Mandera County Commissioner Alex
Ole Nkoyo said the government is ready to act against Al-Shabaab.
Other leaders present were
Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Mohamed Adan, MPs
Abdulazia Farah (Mandera East), Mohamud Mohamed (Mandera
West) , Rhamu Mohamed Abdow and Banisa Mohamed Abdi(Banisa).