GARRELAND: CAN'T IT BE ACHIEVED WITH A SHOT FIRED BY A RIVAL CLAN'S GUNMAN?

EDITORIAL- SIEVING THE FACTS FROM THE MYTH

BY ADOW JUBAT

As a country our biggest undoing is our narrowness in terms of our thinking. 

From our political class, to our religion leaders and even to the media, whenever something goes wrong in our society, we usually go for the nearest available scapegoat.

Unless as a country we learn to address issues as it is and face the truth however bitter it maybe, we shall remain doomed and keep counting numbers of Kenyans killed at the hands of amorous Somali based terrorists and other affiliate criminals.

On 2^nd, April 2015, when a group of heartless gun men from the ranks of al-Shabaab raided the only university college in the entire Northeastern region and butchered about 150 innocent students armed with only harmless books and pen, our political classes turned their blazing guns at the impoverished Somali refugees.

They heaped blames on the refugees whom they accused of providing a safer recruiting grounds for the killers gangs in the camps notwithstanding the fact that the majority of these refugees are on the run from their country due to the cruelty of this ragtag.

Some leaders led by the majority leader in the national assembly Adan Dualle demanded for the immediate return of over 600,000 Somali refugees in Dadaab camp, as if their repatriation will offer a panacea to the threats of terrorism our country is facing today.

Since they can’t defend themselves from this accusation, the refugee community were made to be guilty as charged and now faces eviction in three months.

The refugees are been unfairly accused of facilitating the macabre killing despite evident proved to the contrarily. 

One of the killers is a Kenyan, who has never lived in any of the refugee camps in Dadaab.

In it’s usually knee jerk reaction; the government turned its focus on entities, financial institutions (Hawala) and individuals in what seems to a ploy to hoodwink the mourning country, demanding for answers to raising insecurity.

The media as it’s usually way fall to the baits been peddle by clan warlords who founds in the unfortunate incident an opportunity to settle scores with clans perceived to be their rival.

In one of its reports, the Standard newspaper downplayed the seriousness of the matter by introducing unconvincing angel.

The Standard in one of its report purports that, the Garissa killing is linked to a secession war aimed at establish what has been maliciously described as formation of a “Gharraland”.

As a journalist (reporting for the Standard) born in the region and who has extensively covered the inter clan political interplay in this region doesn’t need to be told who is the source of this fake assertion.

In the history of Kenya, the only secession movement known is that of Shifta war, which has been advocating for the creation of Northern Frontier District (NFD), a semi-autonomous sate in the Kenya’s north.

Garre as community can’t single-handedly fight for a secession war to cede an entire region with more 100 sub clans with fractious inter clan mistrusted and political game play. 

A good indication, as why this unity to advocate for secession isn't possible this time can be deduced from voting pattern in the last general election, when Mandera County a predominately Garre, voted for Jubilee (URP) in six piece, Wajir, a Degodia county went ODM camp.

Secession war can’t gain support or hearts of the communities in the region as it did some 50 years. Many things have changed since then. If sharing of county resource has been causing conflicts in almost all counties in the region, how can a dream of self determination driven by Garre alone be possible?

Secondly, it foolhardy for any responsible person including a journalist to suspect a Garre community will wage a war of secession from Garissa, a county predominately owned by Ogaden clan and thousands of kilometers away from Mandera where the community has the number.

Thirdly, considering that, the Kenyan lawyer among the terrorist who was killed in the campus siege was identified as a son of a Degodia chief, should rubbish this claims.

Anybody, who knows the deep rooted historical difference pitting Garre and Degodia, can’t imagine a Degodia learned man will offer to die in advancing the course that will serve the interest of an arch-rival clan.

From personal experience, I highly came to believe that unless we urgently provide a remedy to corruption and laxity among our security agencies, we shall never raise against the increasing threats posed by Shabaab and other extremist elements.

On 26^th, March this year, I reported of an incident where two conmen purporting to be offering jobs to form 4 leavers who have done their KCSE last year to the local police station (OB no.23/26/3/2015). 

I provided the mobile numbers of the two men, one claiming to be working with KRA Nairobi office and evident of the Mpesa money transaction indicate the amount and the names of unsuspecting people they coned to the police.

The police never bother to follow up the matter with the urgency it deserved.

During recording of my statement at the Garissa police station, I realized why Kenyans were unwilling to report criminal incidents to the police.

The officer taking my statement and his female colleague jeered and distracted me for giving what they called a long and detailed statement. 

“Usitujasia kitabu. Fupisha maneno” The female officers sneered at me as the male officer taking my statement concurred notwithstanding my brevity with words as journalist. 

At one point, the officer who was taking my statement described me as accomplices- simply because I report a crime incident as patriot Kenyan.

Despite numerous follow up of the matter with the officer and 16 days down the line; I’m yet to get any feedback on the progress of the issue. 

One would then wonder, how many more people has been conned by these individuals since then. What about if the issue I reported, was a more serious bending criminal activity?

The other day just after the massacre of the students at GUC, I traveled from Ifo refugee camp to Nairobi, in the bus I was travel in there were more than 5 aliens, who had no legal traveling documents and despite passing through more than 20 security barriers, the 5 has managed to enter Nairobi incident free and it’s my prayers that these people remain harmless individuals.

At each security check point, the conductor jumps out of the bus, then whisper to the ears of the officer manning the barrier before dragging the him/her behind the bus, as another officer enters the bus pretending to be conduct a search.

In the fathom search, the officer avoids the seats occupied by the non Kenyans and demands identifications from other passengers.

Closing financial entities or regulation of Islamic institution alone will not help us end killing of innocent Kenayans by al-Shabaab terror gangs. 

We need to urgently wipe out corruption and end laxity among our security agencies.

Adow Jubat- is a Standard journalist working in the NEP for the last 13 years as a journalist and a Global award winner.