As many people have been injured and beaten in Mandera, Arabia, Fino, Lafey and Libehiya areas along with others in Wargudud, Elwak and areas adjacent to Mandera district in a military and police operation aimed to contain what the government says is "lawlessness" In Mandera and to stop the clashes between the Garres and Murulles, Questions are asked as who invited all these in the first place.
The question in everyone's Mind
Who invited the Operation in Mandera?
Ask Yourself and come up with your own conclusion....Whatever it is.
Former MP Billow Kerrow who was locked for interrogation by the Kenya police in Gigiri, Nairobi has since been released and in a press conferene, accused the operation saying that the Government has no justification to beat it's citizens like that and called the operation a sham.
The Government was accused by the many protesters in Gigiri of locking down of Mr. Kerrow as violating his freedom of speech and expression although Mr. Kerrow was supposed to be among the first leaders to help reduce tension between these communities.
Although the government has the duty to protect it's citizens, many time, it has failed to contain the Mandera clashes which has been simmering for a long time after The Garre clan was constantly accused by their Murulle counterparts of "thrashing" out all peace agrrement including the 2005 Murulle/Garre Agreement. The Murulle clan felt short-changed by events and what was happening in Mandera and the pressure kept rising. There were clashes from time to time as each clan accused the other of interference in their internal politics and boundaries.
The Government had the duty to make the country secure but not in the form of operation that leads to more problems for it's citizens. It can devise other ways of dealing with those kind of tensions. We however, don't wish to see security lapses in any part of the country, whether Mandera or anywhere else, like what happened last week in the heart of our capital Nairobi, This hurts our image as a country.
Just some few months ago, there was a similar operation like the Mandera Operation in Mt. Elgon which the government said was succesful to flush out Sabaot Land Defence militias. At that time, The military was accused of killing atleast 500 people in that operation.
The operation turned nasty as one local politician from Mandera, A Mr. Hussein(Hussein Councillor) described how even Chiefs, teachers and government civil servants were beaten and injured in a local TV Station.
Mandera and NEP people should work and live together like brothers and sister instead of creating tensions between various communities. Let us keep peace and prosper together. Petty petty issues will never solve our problems. We sympathise with all those caught up in the operation.
Mandera People have better things to handle than this constant clashes.
