Newly elected Garissa Ameru Community chairman Jack Anunga /HANDOUT
Garissa's newly elected Ameru chairman issues a unity call after the election.
Newly elected chairman of the Meru community living in Garissa, Jack Anunga, has called for unity for the county to develop.
He said for a long time, the community's former leaders have been pulling the community to a different direction.
Anunga spoke to hundreds of community members at the Jamhuri Club after elections.
He said moving forward, he will lead the community towards socio-economic and cultural growth.
“As I stand before you here today, I want to take this opportunity with a heart full of gratitude and humility, to sincerely thank you for your trust, your support and for giving me the honour to serve as the chairman of our beloved community. I don’t take this for granted,” he said.
"This is not just a personal victory—it is a collective one. It is a reflection of our shared belief in a better, stronger and more united community. I accept this responsibility not as a position of power, but as a platform for service, for listening and for leading with compassion and purpose."
Anunga pledged to closely work with leaders from other communities residing in the area describing Garissa as a cosmopolitan county.
“Garissa is a cosmopolitan county, especially Garissa township constituency where literally members from all communities reside. We need each other in one way or another. We have peacefully co-existed for decades and my role will be to ensure my community's relationship with others is strengthened further,” he said.
Sophia Gatweri who was elected as the secretary reiterated the need for cooperation.
“When we come together as a community then we become stronger and can tackle challenges with a lot of ease. As they say, unity is strength. Unfortunately, the previous office holders did not prioritise the community’s unity and only focused on their own selfish gains,” she said.
Gatweri highlighted issues such as bursaries, women and youth empowerment as well as jobs as among the issues the new leadership will push for.
Joseph Thuranira, resident of Garissa, said for a long time the Meru community lacked leaders to push for their interests challenging the new leadership to champion for their needs.
"Leadership is about service, accountability, and putting the people first. Unfortunately, that has not consistently been the case. We have heard situations where key decisions were made without consulting the wider community or providing clear, accessible explanations," he said.
"Many a times we found ourselves in the dark. Our traders, who are majorly involved in the Miraa business, have time and again been harassed when coming in Garissa. And when we tried to seek answers, we were brushed off."
Erick Mweti said most political positions are held by local Somali leaders, who exclude non-locals feel ex from decision-making processes or development agendas if they don’t have strong person as a community representative who will push for their rights and protection.
The Ameru community is among major tribes living in Garissa coming second after the Kamba community.
Majority of them are traders involved in the booming miraa business.
