Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow (L) with one of the elders soon after he arrived in Mandera Town on Sunday for a planned demonstration to call for the removal of County Commissioner Alex ole Nkoyo. A group of elders have opposed calls for Mr Nkoyo's removal.
by MANASE OTSIALO
Monday, March 23, 2015
A group of elders from Mandera have opposed leaders calling for the removal of County Commissioner Alex ole Nkoyo over insecurity.
Speaking on Sunday, more than 20 elders from five clans of the larger Somali community under the chairmanship of Mr Mahamud Ibrahim Omar called last week’s demonstrations led by Mandera Township MCA Mr Feisal Abdinoor a "disturbance".
“We are elders from five clans out of six that reside in Mandera and those demonstrating and calling for the ouster of our county commissioner are ill-advised.
“Their intention is to create tribal clashes, which he has managed to control within the seven months he has been here,” said Mr Omar.
“We are not accepting what one clan is doing and our message to the National Government is clear: they should not listen to the few with questionable intentions but (they should) listen to the majority,” he added.
He said they were ready to mobilise enough manpower to defend the county commissioner against those calling for his removal.
“We have other Somalis working in different parts of the country and if we are going to do this to non-local civil servants then it means our fellow Somali will be brought back to Mandera,” said Mr Omar.
ANSWERABLE TO NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
He said Mr Nkoyo was answerable to the National Government and not the county government insisting that any action against him will be taken by the National Government.
“The county commissioner has done a lot of good things in Mandera, but if he fails, we will tell the National Government through the right channels but not through demonstrations,” he said.
The five clans in Mandera are the Garre (who are the majority), Degodia, Murule, Kona and Marahani.
“If the government agrees to transfer him, it means that every other commissioner posted here will undergo the same predicaments,” said another elder, Mr Adan Noor.
“We are aware and we want the government to know that the commissioner is capable of handling the Mandera issues contrary to the demands of the demonstrating group and we are saying let him stay until he retires,” he added.
He said what the county commissioner is accused of is normal and happens everywhere in the world.
NOT LIMITED TO MANDERA
Referring to the recent attack on Governor Ali Roba’s convoy, Mr Noor said such incidents were not limited to Mandera.
“We have seen it in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nigeria and even in Somalia.
“What the government needs to do is to give the commissioner better equipment to fight the enemy and not listen to the noisemakers,” said Mr Noor.
But even as the elders were voicing their support for Mr Ole Nkoyo, Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow arrived in the county on Sunday and was expected to lead another demonstration Monday to push for the removal of the county commissioner. He was accompanied by other senators.
“Our senator is in the county and we are waiting for other invited senators from Nairobi to arrive so that we push for the removal of Mr Nkoyo as a strong team,” said Mr Abdinoor, the Mandera Township MCA, who did not name the other senators.
Governor Roba, who is said to be out of the country on official duty, has been at the forefront pushing for the removal of the county commissioner.
He has accused him of completely locking out his administration in the county's security matters.
He further said that Mr Nkoyo has been sleeping on the job in the face of several terrorist attacks that have rocked the county leaving several people dead.