Stop fanning inter-clan clashes, governor says

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama has accused Northeastern regional commissioner John Otieno of fuelling inter-clan conflicts following remarks that skirmishes are between communities.

Jama on Saturday it was wrong for the regional administrator to insinuate the deadly conflicts were against communities, saying such talk fuels revenge attacks.

“The other day, I told the RC right to his face that this narrative of saying two communities are fighting is utter nonsense,” he said.

“Let us say it as it is, that this is a group of about 50 militias terrorising residents, whom the security needs to deal with ruthlessly.”

Otieno, during a press briefing on Thursday, said the inter-clan clashes were between two communities.

Recent development in Garissa town have seen at least 12 people killed in attacks that have seen communities retaliate following the deaths of their relatives.

So bad is the situation that tension has been brewing in some settlements in Garissa township and some areas in Fafi subcounty, with residents fearing for their lives moving to other areas deemed safe.

The national and county governments have suspended all gypsum mining activities, land allocation and demarcation due to the insecurity.

On Friday, Fafi MP Salah Yakub's convoy came under attack from bandits at Degega moments after leaving Galmagala town for the burial of a victim of the inter-clan clashes.

A visibly angry Jama, who was speaking at a meeting in Garissa town, termed Otieno’s remarks ‘very unfortunate’.

He said he was forced to cut short his panel appearance at the Devolution Conference and hurriedly come back to the county after learning of the killings.

Jama said never in the history of Garissa had it happened that criminals separate people on the basis of the clans they come from and proceed to shoot them dead.

He said the killings should not have happened in the first place if the government was alert.

“It us very unfortunate that our security apparatus have decided to arm-twist the narrative, which they themselves are creating,” Jama said.

“Truth be told, there are no clans fighting in Garissa. Here we are talking about gangs and armed criminals moving in our midst. So as leaders let us stop propagating hate.”

He said he has been forced to say some things which he rarely says in public.

“The security apparatus will be the cause of inter clan conflicts and fights that we may not have, God forbid, an end to,” he said.

“So you guys [police] failed to look for these criminals who are moving around with guns,” he said.

Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed called for calm, saying there is no reason why people should kill each other.

“There is no justification whatsoever for people to kill each other. There is no justification for doing that," he said.

"We are human beings and not animals. Let us sober up and all be agents of peace. It's unfortunate that our people still believe in clan issues more than anything else. This should not be happening in this day and age."

Dekow urged the security apparatus to remain alert and proactive in conducting patrols across all the troubled areas, saying no other life should be lost in the conflicts.

“We have a serious threat in the name of al Shabaab that we are dealing with as a country,” he said.

"All our energies, resources and time should be dedicated in eliminating that threat and securing our country. Let's not add inter clan conflicts to that."