Sunday April 9, 2017
President Uhuru Kenyatta waves to residents of Wajir town during a rally on April 9, 2017. He urged them to vote for him in this year's polls. PHOTO | CHARLES KIMANI | DPPS
President Uhuru Kenyatta asked Wajir residents to vote for Jubilee in August, saying his government had improved their welfare.
Mr Kenyatta told off the opposition for saying the current administration had neglected residents of Wajir, Mandera and Garissa by failing to implement recommendations of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission.
Last week, National Super Alliance principals Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula held a series of meetings in the county.
“The opposition keeps saying that Somalis have been discriminated against. They don’t have eyes to see what Jubilee has done,” Mr Kenyatta said during a rally at Qorahey Grounds on Saturday.
“My government has considered Wajir residents in many aspects, including making it easy for you to acquire national identity cards.”
The President dismissed claims that he and his administration had neglected some parts of the country, saying his government addressed problems facing every region.
“What we are doing here is what we are doing in other parts of the country. We have built roads in Bondo and many other parts.
"Raila is busy saying that the Jubilee Government has done nothing. Let him go to his home county to see for himself. We are working for Kenyans across the board,” he said.
DEFECTORS
Bondo is Mr Odinga’s ancestral home in Siaya County.
The President received some opposition leaders who defected to his party.
They included Eldas MP Adan Keynan, Tarbaj MP Mohammed Elmi, Wajir Deputy Governor Abdihafid Yarow, Wajir County Speaker Mohammed Bishar, Nominated Senator Halima Kahiye and more than 20 ward representatives.
The President said he would not compromise on clan politics, which usually decides who gets elected.
He promised to work with the leaders who will be elected in August.
Mr Kenyatta renewed his attack on Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho who has repeatedly accused the government of not aiding devolution.
“Someone in Mombasa calling himself Sultan keeps saying that the government has done nothing,” he said.
“He forgets where the money is coming from. Even if governors have developed their counties, they are just managing the funds they get from the national government.”
ELECTRICITY CONNECTION
Mr Kenyatta said Wajir County would get Sh1 billion above its allocation in the current financial year.
The President also said the Jubilee Government had rolled out funds that would help finance other projects in Wajir County, including improving roads.
“We have already awarded tenders to improve water supply in Wajir town that will cost Sh9 billion,” he said.
“The government has disbursed Sh23 billion towards the construction of Bute dam. This will reduce the effects of drought.”
The President added that he would hold a meeting with Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and other top officials to see if more sub-counties could be established in Wajir “in order to bring services closer to the people”.
The proposed sub-counties are Hadado, Diff and Khorof Harar.
He added that he would ensure Wajir County was connected to the national electricity grid once he is re-elected.
DO NOT VOTE FOR NASA
Deputy President William Ruto said the government was against any form of discrimination “and that is why we are giving devolution funds to all parts of the country”.
He added that building of the standard gauge railway, ports, roads, airports and factories are aimed at fighting joblessness and poverty.
“We are constructing a road from Garissa to Modogashe, Samata to Kutulo then to Mandera. Our aim, as Jubilee, is to improve infrastructure in Kenya’s northeast,” he said.
Mr Ruto added that Wajir County did not vote overwhelmingly for Jubilee in 2013 and asked residents “not to repeat the mistake”.
Only one constituency out of the six elected a United Republican Party lawmaker. The governor and senator were elected on an ODM ticket.
“Your leaders have decided to walk with us,” he said.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said what Jubilee had done for the region could not be matched by any other post-independence Kenya Government.
“This time, Somalis will not take chances. We will go to every village in Wajir, Garissa and Mandera to look for votes,” he said.
SECURITY MEASURES
Some leaders had a tough time addressing the crowd, which was heckling and chanting ODM slogans before Mr Ruto intervened.
The President then went to the county commissioner’s residence where he met with Jubilee leaders and supporters.
Present at the meetings was North Eastern Regional co-coordinator Mohamud Saleh who told Mr Kenyatta that border points had been secured in readiness for the August 8 elections.
Also present were Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, his Tourism counterpart Najib Balala, Mombasa Jubilee governor candidate Suleiman Shahbhal and Wajir County governor hopeful Mohammed Abdi.
Others were Wajir West MP Abdikadir Ore Ahmed and his Wajir East counterpart Abbas Sheikh Mohamed, among others.