Carry out peaceful campaigns, Tana River aspirant urges politicians

Politicians in Tana River county have been urged to carry out peaceful campaigns and avoid issuing statements that might trigger clan animosity.

Nuh Nasir Abdi, an aspirant eying the governor post,  said the county has a history of clan clashes whenever an election approaches, adding that in order to stop this from recurring, all politicians must take the lead role on preaching peace as they campaign.

Speaking in Meti, the shrine of the Wardhei community after being endorsed as the candidate to fly the community flag for governor, Abdi said past elections have been characterised by clan clashes where lives have been lost and hundreds displaced.

In 2012, a few months to the election, clan clashes erupted between the Pokomo and the Orma in Tana delta, more than 200 people died in the clashes while close to 40,000 were displaced.

It all started as a conflict between pastoralists and farmers but slowly took a political angle, the end result was retaliatory attacks. However 2017 was devoid of clashes.

“Our great county of Tana River has gone through several seasons both good and bad. We have seen it all. We have lost thousands of people through inter clan clashes which unfortunately tend to recur every time there is an election. Going forward, we hope and pray this doesn’t happen again ever,” he said.

Abdi urged residents to be on the look out for war mongers and inciters noting that such people who thrive on dividing the electorate and causing bloodshed, cannot be trusted with leadership positions.

Abdi a former Bura MP and Speaker of the county assembly between 2013-2017 further challenged the electorates to scrutinise the aspirants and their manifestos before electing them.

The community’s king Abdi Hassan who announced Abdi as the community's choice for governor candidate said the process was a transparent, free and fair.

He thanked other candidates for their cooperation throughout the exercise saying the community’s unity was paramount.

“Abdi  now becomes the first among equals because all the other candidates were good and could have as well been picked. We now start the journey of uniting our community with eyes fixed on getting the seat,” Hassan said.

“I accept this endorsement with a full and grateful heart with only one obligation; that is providing good leadership to our community and to the people of Tana River,” Abdi said.

"I know the task ahead is not a walk in the park, it requires a lot of commitment and dedication, not just from me but from every single member of our community.”

He promised to do all it takes to give people that dream leadership that they yearn for.

“I have the competence and courage to make development and prosperity a reality. Without doubt, I take this as a challenge but also as an opportunity to start a new line of servant leadership,” he said.

-Edited by SKanyara