STOP WITCH-HUNT, GARISSA GOVERNORS TELLS MPS

 BY ADOW JUBAT

                                        Governor Nathif addressing a fundraiser in Modogashe at the wknd pic by Jubat

Garisssa county Governor, Nathif Jama has accused some MPs from his County of playing outdated politic of witch-hunting at the expense of providing service to the people.

The governor said despite the County leadership commitment  in serving the people diligent to make the realization of fruits of devolution a reality, the national leadership particularly the legislators has made undermining the former their past time politicking.

Jama who was reacting to  accusations of misappropriation of the shilling 7.5 billion of the county's annual by five MPs from the area led by the majority leader in the national assembly Adan Dualle on the weekend reminded the lawmakers to be account first before accusing others.

"It's absurd for someone with a log in his/her eyes to raise your attention to specks in other peoples' eyes. Kenyan are on the known on what is transpiring at some committees at the national assembly", he said amid cheering by supporters.

On Saturday five MPs from Garissa County took the Garissa governor to task over alleged misappropriations of the County's funds and wants to account sh7.5B the county received from the national government for the ongoing financial year.

The lawmakers led by Majority leader and Garissa town Mp Mr Aden Duale demanded from the governor Nathif Jama to explain how his administration has spent the finances meant for development purposes since there were little evident to show that tangible projects were implemented in the County in past two years into existence of devolution.

The Mps who were speaking at a fundraiser for Bura Secondary in Fafi constituency, claimed that Mr Jama s' administration is ridden with outright corruption and naked abuses of office in disregard to prevailing laws of the land that criminalize abuse of public resources and offices.

"Resources of this county must be distributed equally and those given the county resources must be ready to account to the public how every coin has been spent. As leaders our main responsibility is to change the livelihood of our people for the better through the proper use of their tax money," said Garissa town Mp Aden Duale amid ululations by the members of the public.

"From Dadaab to Ijara and from Garissa to Fafi people are suffering from lack of water and drugs because the County government has failed to pay the accumulated bills to suppliers of power and transporters, while the money allocated for the same indicates has been spent on the same", claimed the majority leader.

Balambala Member of Parliament Abdikadir Aden said the residents of the Garissa County were not benefiting from the fruits of devolution as expected noting that provision of water and drugs, which should be basic provision of the administration is still unavailable in all sub-counties despite the county getting huge amount of money for the same.

"The county government must be ready to account the sh7.5B that was allocated to it and our push for accountability and transparency in the running of our County affairs shouldn't taken as personal or politicking, we are just doing our job to ensure public money are used as meant," said Balambala lawmaker.

The MPs who attended at the function were the host Elias Bare Shill (Fafi), Aden Duale (Garissa Township), Abdikadir Omar (Balambala), Ahmed Abass (Ijara) and Bura Tana Mp Ali Wario.

The County chief took swipe at the MPs who are pointing fingers of abuse of office to refrain from engaging in trivial matters which they have no evidence and instead redirect their energy on serving their electorates and the country.

Governor Nathif said that as a leader he always welcomes positive criticism from each and every person in his county, but has no time to engage himself on piety name-calling that will only establish divisive politics of intolerance to each other.

He said contrarily to the MPs assertion that his government is non-performing; his administration is working around the clock making sure that the people of Garissa County have benefited from devolution irrespective of their political, tribal and, religious affiliation urging the residents to ignore those with ulterior political motives.

"There are people who wake up and go around abusing the county leadership. We are telling them we don't want that kind of business here and we are tired of them. We know our work, and we are able to do it without their distractive input," Jama said.

He added that some politicians instead of engaging in more gainful responsibilities for the benefit of their respective constituencies, they are instead using their position of influence at the national level to bring more development to supplement what the county government is already doing they engage in maliciously accusations against the county leadership.