Kulan Post

Nov-Dec,2016
001
1|Kulan Post
Where is our Water?
A Garissa town resident pulls a cart after drawing water from a nearby school in Bula
Masalani . The town is facing water crisis due to political in-fighting. Photo/ Abdinur
Bishar.
Apart from the drought that is ravaging parts of North Eastern Kenya, the
three county headquarters that make up North Eastern Kenya are dealing
with water crisis. In Wajir town, the local administration argue that the
crisis is beyond their control but Garissa and Mandera residents are thirsty
because of mismanagement and political infighting. Story on page 2,3
Section of Mandera
landlords issue vacation
notice to non-locals over
terror attacks
Pg 8
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Duale and the uphill
task of convincing North
Eastern Kenya to vote
for Jubilee in 2017 polls
Pg 11
Kulan Post
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Should Madaras and
mosques receive donation
from political leaders
involved in corruption
cases?
Pg 14
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Nov-Dec,2016
By Ahmed Abdirashid, Abdikadir Okash
& Abdinur Bishar
The three county headquarters
that make up North Eastern Kenya
are dealing with water crisis, a spot
check by Kulan Post team reveals.
Some of the county headquarters
started experiencing water crisis
soon after the county governments
took over water dockets, we have
also established.
Garissa, Wajir and Mandera are the
three major towns in the formerly
North Eastern Province and apart
from Wajir, Mandera and Garissa
towns are facing glaring water
crisis even when they have a river
flowing close by.
Since 2013, Garissa town faced
major water challenges within the
town area and its outskirts. Residents
are appealing to the county
and national government to intervene
in the water problem.
Farah Adan, a father of six said he
is now forced to consume untreated
water which could cause illness.
“The water problem is a big issue
and both the county and national
government seem unperturbed by
our suffering.
“We are forced to consume untreated
water from the river which
poses health risks such as typhoid,
diarrhea and other diseases,” he
noted.
Schools and local madrasas within
the town are also facing the same
challenge as students are mostly
asked to fetch water from nearby
mosques.
Hassan Abdi, a Madrasa teacher
challenged both levels of government
to intervene, saying the situation
was becoming dire.
“This cannot continue; stakeholders
at both levels of the government
should act,” he said.
Sahara Haji, 46, says she was forced
to walk to distant neighbourhood
in Garissa to top up her water tank
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|Kulan Post
Where is our water?
for domestic consumption. She
added that the crisis was better
managed before the county government
took charge of the water
docket.
“Before 2013, the water problem
was not as rampant and constant as
it is now. “There was crisis, but the
water company would find a way
of getting us out of the mess,” the
mother of six noted as she carried
two-ten litter jerricans on both
hands, her three-year old daughter
in tow.
Mohamed Saman Mohamed, a
duksi (Quran) teacher said he relies
on water supplied by the Garissa
Water and Sewerages Company
(GAWASCO) which, he noted, was
becoming “too unreliable to rely
on”.
He was furious that despite Garissa
having a river that passes through
it, the residents have to worry
about water for domestic use.
“Can someone explain to me how
we (Garissa) can live with dry taps
in our homes when we have a river
that flows throughout the year,” he
asked.
Tana River is the longest river in
Kenya and it is 1000 kilometers
long. It passes through the towns
of Garissa, Hola and Garsen before
entering the Indian Ocean at Ungwana
Bay-Kipini area.
Areas hard hit by the water crisis
are Bula Sambul, Sagaray, Cadan,
Masalani and Tawakal.
Gawasco acting managing director
Abdul Haji did not pick our call
nor responded to our texts when
we asked about the water crisis in
the town. He said he would meet
us the next day, but did not step at
the office the following day.
However, junior staffs we spoke to
say the inefficiency of the company
is chiefly contributed by political
infighting and “conflicting orders
from the above.”
“When a crisis touching on vital
resource like water is politicized,
then the people usually suffer,” a
GAWASCO officer told Kulan Post
in confidence.
The officer was referring to the
county governor Nadhif Jamaa and
Garissa Township MP and Majority
Leader in the National Assembly
Aden Duale who publicly clashed
on how to tackle the crisis and the
future of GAWASCO.
In late S eptember, Duale
accused the governor of not doing
enough to address the water crisis.
In rejoinder, the governor challenged
the MP to settle sh 22.6
million water bill the national government
owes to the local water
agency.
Nathif said GAWASCO is bedeviled
by two challenges: rapid expansion
of the town and the sh
22.6 million owed by the National
government institution in Garissa.
“Let him not count on me when
the county runs into deep trouble,”
Duale responded.
“The National government wired
sh9 billion to the Garissa County
Government and 36 billion since
2013.
“How come Garissa town residents
are still thirsty,” the Garissa Township
MP asked.
He called on the county government
to act tough on the institutions
that fail to clear their bills,
saying that even the residents suffer
water cuts under similar conditions.
“If it’s true that the National government
agencies are not paying
their bills, why is GAWASCO not
taking actions because when the
local man fails to clear the water
Continued To page 3

Nov-Dec,2016
Continued from page 2
Where is our water?
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3|Kulan Post
bill, he faces stiff penalties and water
cuts,” Duale noted.
However, the governor stated that
Duale was frustrating the operation
of the GAWASCO saying he
kept demanding for the sacking
of the top officials at the water
company. “Since I came to power,
Duale kept on insisting that I sack
top officials at the GAWASCO,”
Nathif said.
“Yussuf Mohamed Dictor has lost
his job and now he want Shamsa
and Jimmy to go,” the governor
added. “Don’t believe when they
say GAWASCO is not a performer.
It’s performing at its best and it will
be here to stay,” Nathif insisted.
In Wajir, the wells are drying up
leaving homesteads with no domestic
use. The locals believe that
two water companies have “gobbled
up the water” after they drilled
boreholes in the town.
Ibrahim Yussuf is a donkey cart
operator. He uses his donkey cart
to ferry water to households within
the town at a cost of sh20 for a
20-litre jerry can.
Before the water crisis hit Wajir
town, he used to provide three
meals a day for his young family
as well as shoulder other daily expenses,
but not anymore.
“It has become hard to provide for
my family now because the wells
have run dry,” the 45-year old father
says.
He blamed two water companies in
the town for his woes. “They came
with big machineries and depleted
the water resource in the town.
They have taken away our jobs,” a
frustrated Ibrahim observed.
Wajir has not experienced such
a crisis in recent history. Even
during the severe 2010/11 drought,
the historic Orahey wells served as
the only reliable water source in
the NFD region.
We went to check if the water companies
were actually the cause of
the crisis. We visited Glacier Water
Company in the north of the town.
There we met with the plant supervisor
Josiah Keter. He is the man in
charge of the main plant. We asked
the problem and if the rumours
doing round were true.
He denied the claims, saying Glacier
gets its water supply from a
shallow well of 23-feet and runs on
a daily production of 20,000 cubicles.
“People out there believe that we
have a rig here. It’s false,” he said.
Mr. Keter instead blamed the expansion
of the town and a growing
population. True to his word, the
town has significantly expanded in
the last three years with permanent
buildings coming up where once
stood Somali huts.
The water crisis has since turned
into an emotional subject laced
with fear since Wajir has no any
other natural water source to turn
if the wells dry up.“We don’t have to
subscribe to any kind of myth,”Abdinoor
Hussein, the county Chief
Officer for Water, Environment
and Natural Resources said.
“The fact remains that we have a
general climatic change,” he noted.
He said the drilling of the boreholes
have nothing to do with
dried up wells, instead blaming the
crisis on population growth which
he said added to the daily water
consumption.
“Also the people have settled on
water recharge points,” Abdinoor
added. The county administration
now banks on the Merti aquifer to
save Wajir town from total water
crisis if the next rainy season fails.
However, the communities around
the Merti aquifers are against the
project, saying the county government
has neglected them.
The Habaswein community, led by
the area member of county assembly
Adan Mohamud, is not ready
to share water with Wajir town.
“We are not ready to share because
it’s not enough,” the MCA said,
adding that the former Wajir East
MP and now the Tarbaj MP Mohamed
Elmi used his power then
to move an abattoir meant for
Habaswein to Tarbaj leaving the
town “orphaned”.
The MCA said he does not believe
in the satellite data provided
by Governor Ahmed Abdullahi
saying it was doctored. The data
revealed that Merti aquifer holds
enough water to last for decades
to come. “It was tampered with to
gain sympathy from the people,
but I want him to take this to the
bank: Habaswein water will never
be piped to Wajir. Never,” he said.
Other areas also earmarked to be
piped water from are Ganyurey,
Kontoma and Wagalla.
“We are in talks with the World
Bank to source water from outside
Wajir town,” Abdinoor said.
In Mandera, the water agency said
rumours that the river water was
the primary cause of Chikungunya
and Cholera has increased the domestic
consumption to an alarming
level.
“It has become hard for us to convince
the residents that the river
water is not contaminated. They
have the perception the water from
the river is contaminated and can’t
be used,” an officer who sought anonymity
said.
To deal with the crisis, the department
drilled several wells in different
parts of the town to try and
mitigate the crisis.
The department is now faced with
few options to meet the demand of
water in the town. “We are forced
to do water rationing to meet the
demand of the residents. We are
also planning to drill more wells to
meet the demand for water.”

Nov-Dec,2016
|Kulan Post
Fatuma Dayib remains in the Somali presdential
race at the backdrop of Clinton lose
By: Suleiman Abdikadir
When Fadumo Dayib announced
her bid to run for President of
Somalia last year, people thought
she was crazy. Somalia’s violent
history and the life threatening
conditions that the country’s political
elite and activists face on a
daily basis makes Dayib’s choice
to run for office - especially as a
woman in a patriarchal culture - a
brave one.
For Fadumo, she is the only
woman in a race against seventeen
other men, the race to Villa
Somalia. If her bid to replace the
incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
will be taken seriously, she
will make history just like Hillary
Clinton if not let down by men in
an un-democratic elections.
In what has been a painful week
for women across the political
world, Martha Karua, Kenya’s
Iron Lady gave up on her dream
and decided to back President
Uhuru Kenyatta and settled for
the gubernatorial post.
In Somalia tribal leaders from
across the country will have to
choose 14,000 electoral delegates,
who will in turn select a new
Parliament that will vote for the
President on November 30th
Fadumo’s husband and four children
leave in Finland
She was born to illiterate Somali
Continued To page 12
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Nov-Dec,2016
5|Kulan Post
800 soldiers quit Kenya Defence Forces after Somali invasion
Kenyan Defense Forces soldiers during an operation. At least 800 soldiers left since 2011. Courtesy
At least 800 soldiers have left the
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) since
Lindi Nchi operation was launched
in 2011.
KDF Director of Prosecution Brigadier
Kenneth Okoki Dindi told a
Mombasa court that the soldiers
left for various reasons, including
desertion.
In a sworn affidavit filed at the
Mombasa Court of Appeal, Brigadier
Dindi said the departures had
a direct effect on KDF’s ability to
check indiscipline and desertion
among the soldiers.
The Force want the court’s permission
to fast-track proceedings
of the State’s appeal against the
acquittal of 25 ex-soldiers from
Mtongwe naval base in Mombasa.
The military court had jailed the
soldiers for life after they were
found guilty of desertion.
The Court found that the convicted
officers had left the Force to work
for US security firms abroad.
But on August 21 last year, Justice
Martin Muya of the Mombasa
High Court freed them, ruling that
the military courts convicted them
wrongly.
KDF is appealing the ruling and
wants it overturned, arguing that
The first ever Halal exhibition in
Kenya came to a close Sunday at
the KICC in Nairobi.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib
Balala was the chief guest at
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it will encourage more soldiers to
desert duty.
Brigadier Dindi argued that Justice
Muya misinterpreted desertion
laws, terming it all a miscarriage of
justice and pleaded with Court of
Appeal to intervene.
He argued that expensively trained
officers had left the forces since
2011 posing challenges to the ongoing
and future military intervention
in Somalia.
First ever Halal Expo in Kenya
By:Suleiman Abdikadir
the event which attracted businesses
owned by Kenyans of different
faith and backgrounds.
Balala said the Halal industry
Continued to page 10

Nov-Dec,2016
Opinion
|Kulan Post
The Sanitation Problem making Wajir a sick County
By:Asiya Mohamed
Did you know that Wajir County
loses sh 854 million each year
due to poor sanitation? (Ministry
of Health, 2014 Water and
Sanitation program).
This includes losses due to access
time (medical access time),
premature death, health care
costs and productivity.
This estimate does not include
some costs that could be significant
(such as water pollution)
and is therefore likely to
under-estimate the true cost of
poor sanitation.
And this brings me to my question
on Wajir Water & Sewerage
Company (WAJIR WASCO),
what does it do? For a county
like Wajir that boasts of its development
and devolution as a
dream and envy for other counties
in NEP, does it not have a
functional water and sewerage
system?
And we can’t talk about development
if only 15.3% of population
in Wajir County has access
to improved sanitation and the
remaining 84.7% have no access
and defecate in the bushes? I
would presume the county officials
responsible for the water
and sanitation in the county
know what the percentages
mean.
MSF warned Wajir County administration
in February of an
outbreak of cholera epidemic. In
a recent publication Médecins
Sans Frontières (MSF) warned
that “…the substandard water
and sanitation situation is creating
ideal conditions for a future
increase in cholera cases.”
The organization is urging for
an immediate improvement in
sanitation services to avoid another
spike in the outbreak.
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A number of water sources are
drying up and the lack of sufficient
human waste disposal in
the area means there is a high
potential for further spread of
the disease.
Poor sanitation is killing us, why
is it not a priority? Shouldn’t
this be an emergency for both
National and County Governments?
The poor Sanitation is at
an undesirable state but we only
see pictures about sanitation,
but no action.
Two questions arise out of his
statement: first, apart from
continuing the age old ideas of
emptying cesspools and buckets,
what other ideas have been
fronted to solve the sanitation
crisis in Wajir?
Secondly, why are we focusing
the county resources only
on Wajir town? Why can’t we
hear about these similar equipment
delivered in the wards and
sub-counties outside the main
town? I didn’t hear anything
about that? And how are they
of use to the county at large if
they cannot help curb the cholera
outbreak that has been in the
county? And look at these statistics
before claiming the knowledge
in whatsoever the Wajir
County Government has to say
or has said about the water and
sanitation issue.
Wajir has a water poverty index
of 63.5 classified as very high
with less than 30% of the population
having access to 20 liters
per person per day (WESCOOD
KAP survey 2013).
Availability and accessibility of
water is major challenge in all
the livelihood zones, so what is
the County Government doing
other than claiming political affiliations
and extortions derailing
the development agenda?
Can we be of help to our own
people other than claims and
understating the power we hold?
We have to fight cholera and ensure
we save the lives of our people
by working to improve their
access to clean water and not
just stating it at public functions.
The County Government of Wajir
seems to be engaging in the
same tokenism and short-term
projects as the NGOs and the
CDF. Long-term, problem-solving
and prioritization doesn’t
seem to be its strength.
There is no question that clean,
affordable drinking water is essential
to the health of our community.
The only safe drinking water in
Wajir County today is the bottled
water that is sold in every
corner of the town---less than
30% of the population can afford
bottled water.
Improving and expanding water
treatment and sanitation systems
is more likely to provide
safe and sustainable sources of
water over the long term and
will also curb the health issues
we seem to be facing in Wajir
County.
The numbers seem overwhelming,
and yet there are no solutions
available to help people in
such dire situations get safe, sustainable
access to life’s most basic
need – clean water and basic
sanitation.
No other intervention has a
greater overall impact on economic
development and public
health in the county than creating
cost-effective access to clean
water and proper sanitation.

Nov-Dec,2016
7|Kulan Post
Wajir psychiatric unit in tatters, faces closure
By: Ahmed Rashid
The psychiatric unit at the Wajir
County referral hospital is on the
verge of collapse. The multi-million
shilling facility first of its kind
was officially commissioned by
Governor Ahmed Abdullahi in
April 2016.
It was a sigh of relief for many residents
who celebrated the launch
of the highly needed facility in a
county where the number of people
with mental illness sours by the
day.
Wajir is regarded as a county with a
high number of people living with
psychiatric problem, until ‘if you
are mad Wajir is the place to be´
was coined.
Wajir South, Oil firm clash over unfulfilled pledges
Less than six months since its inception,
we have learnt that the facility
is in a dire state of affairs. A
recent visit to the unit revealed that
the unit is nearly non-operational
with only a single bed and 3 employees,
a nurse, a casual labourer
and a security guard attached to
the main hospital.
Initially billed as one of the major
steps towards addressing the
soaring cases of the disease since
the advent of devolution, the facility
has turned into an empty shell.
The psychiatric unit offers only out
inpatient services with 198 registered
patients
A worker at the hospital who
By: Abdikadir Ukash
The community in Wajir South and
an oil and gas company exploring
minerals in the area have disagreed
on the details of an agreement that
the locals say the firm has since reneged
on.
Mukhtar Sheikh Nur, the chairman
of the Oil and Gas Exploration
committee of the Wajir South
community said the management
of the firm has failed to honour a
section of an agreement entered
into by the community and the
company ahead of the exploration
exercise.
He adds that the process was hijacked
by brokers who do not represent
the interest of the locals.
“We are the legitimate representatives
of the Wajir South interest
in this process because we are
here thanks to the appointment of
300 people from Wajir South who
entrusted us with their welfare,”
Mukhtar told Kulan Post.
The meeting that led to the appointment
of the Committee took
place on the 15th of June at Hilton
Place Hotel in Wajir.
A day later, the selected committee
members and the management of
Simba Energy met to draft a Memorandum
of Understanding.
In the agreement document seen
by Kulan Post, Simba Energy and
the local community agreed on the
implementation of three key issues
before the start of the exploration.
“We agreed that they would hire
300 staff from the local commu-
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sought anonymity said the unit is
ill-equipped to offer in-patient services
adding patients cannot access
the much needed diagnosis and
treatment. “We cannot offer in-patient
services due to lack of beds,
guards to hold the patients and
also trained personnel” he said.
He said they have reached out to
the county government on numerous
occasions for assistance but
nothing has been forthcoming. As
a result, the much hyped facility
may be closed. “We wrote many
proposals to the county government
through the hospital management
for help. None has been
Continued To page 9
nity, set up their campsite on the
outskirts of Wajir town and implement
nine projects in the larger
Wajir South before the actual exploration
begins,” Mukhtar, who
also serves as the spokesman of the
committee said.
The community wanted a dining
hall at Leheley Secondary School,
boreholes in Leheley and Boji Yarey,
dams in Sukela, Daqane Walo
and Argani. A healthcare center in
Hodan and piping of water from
the dam at Ibrahim Ure was also
part of the agreement.
“They only project they started is
the Leheley project and they (Simba
Energy) soon left after they set
up the foundation of the structure,”
Mukhtar said.

Nov-Dec,2016
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|Kulan Post
Section of Mandera landlords issue vacation notice to
non-locals over terror attacks
By: Ahmed Abdirashid Haji
They say to live far from home is
to live in fear. We meet men who
travelled thousands of kilometers
to seek job here in Mandera so
that they can fend for their families
back home.
But lately, to work here is no longer
a walk in the park since Al Shabab
started targeting them, often in the
dead of the night.
In this year alone, Al Shabab killed
at least 20 people in Mandera, majority
of them non-locals.
Charles Dybala is from Nyanza.
He said he came to Mandera four
years ago to work in the local quarry
which is located few miles east
of Mandera town. He says everything
was relatively normal until Al
Shabab started hunting for them.
It all started in 2014 when the
group targeted non-local workers
at the quarry which was later on
followed by a series of deadly attacks.
Dyabala, a father of three is pursued
by a local bank after he borrowed
a loan to support his mining
business. He said he cannot leave
Mandera and forget his investment
nor stay put and lose his life---- a
classical example of a man between
a rock and a hard place.
“I have three children at the secondary
school level and to support
their education, I took a loan from
the bank,” he noted.
Duncan Shikala, a quarry worker
blamed the security forces for taking
the situation lightly.
“If you call the police and inform
them of an impending attack, they
will tell you to sleep if you’d not
been reached,” he lamented.
“If the government is not taking
our pleas seriously, who are we going
to present our case to? God?”
he wondered.
When the sun goes down and they
troop back to their homes, these
men understand more than anyone
else that they have a new challenge
to deal with---They are not sure if
they will wake up to a new dawn
and continue their work from
where they left yesterday.
Beside the danger that lurk in the
dark, this men believe that the local
security agencies are not doing
enough to protect them from the
militants.
To rub salt to a fresh wound, the
local landlords have sent out notice
to the non-locals to vacate their
houses because when Al Shabab
strikes, they usually use explosives
that damage the building. They are
now stranded in town, gazing into
a bleak future.
Joseph Okech, a teacher said his
landlord served him with a notice
of eviction.
“I was told to relocate and I don’t
know where to go to,” he said.
“The continuous trend of Al-
Shabaab raiding residential houses
where mostly non-locals live has
rendered us sleepless,” Dyabala
said.
The development in the county
heavily relies on non-locals. They
The local community in Mandera
have conspired to attack the
non-local community, Tetu member
of parliament Ndung’u Gethenji
has said.
Six of the twelve people killed in
Mandera attack last week were
from Nyeri County.
Speaking at his constituency when
he attended a burial ceremony for
one of the victims of last month attack,
Gethenji said the locals may
make up half of the labour force.
They work in different areas such
as health, education, mining and
other key sectors.
Mohamed Hassan, a quarry owner
said his business relies on locals.
He appealed to the government to
do more to protect the non-locals.
“These are people that we need and
they need us and we can’t ask them
to leave,” he said.
The recent attacks have created
an after-shock in the mining and
the construction industries which
relies heavily on the labour force
provided by the non-locals. They
are worried of mass exodus by the
workers should the insecurity persist
and are now appealing to the
government to provide security in
the area.
But County Commissioner Fredrick
Shisia dismissed the vacation
orders saying security was normal.
Mr Shisia said strategies have been
put in place to counter increasing
terror incidents in the town.
In the meantime, Dyabala and his
boys would have to provide for
their families regardless of the situation.
Mandera locals behind spate of “terror”
attacks say Nyeri leaders
Hope Mbori
be responsible for the spate of terror
attacks in Mandera.
“Reports indicate that Al Shabab
was not responsible for the latest
attack,” the parliamentary committee
chairman for Defense and Foreign
Affairs, said.
He was referring to a preliminary
report by the North Eastern Regional
Coordinator Amb Mohamud
Saleh who said that the Octo-
Continued To page 9

Nov-Dec,2016
‘Mandera locals
behind spate of
terror attack’
Continued from page 8
ber 24th attack was perpetrated by
the locals.
“We are not discounting that it is
a live possibility. If that is the true
position, then the local leaders
and the community will have a lot
of questions to answer,” the Nyeri
politician said.
The government has imposed a
dust to dawn curfew in Mandera
County.
In the latest attack, a group of militants
used explosives to get their
way into a guest house—Bishaaro
Guest House. At least 12 people
were killed in the attack.
In the previous attack, the security
apparatus in the town were aware
of the impending attacks, according
to the government spokesman
“Reports indicate that
Al Shabab was not
responsible for the latest
attack,”
Erik Kiraithe while speaking after
the 7th of October attack.
In last month’s attack, the survivors
said they tipped the area police
boss over their fears, but he assured
them that everything would
be alright.
At least 29 people died of attacks
staged by the Somalia based militant
group Al Shabab since March
this year.
Among the casualties are five police
officers killed on the 20th June
after they are hit by rocket-propelled
grenade believed to have
been launched by the group.
Continued from page 7
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9|Kulan Post
Wajir psychiatric unit facing closure
forthcoming.” he said.
Besides being ill-equipped, the
hospital is troubled by lack of qualified
personnel such as psychiatrists
and nurses to facilitate proper
diagnosis and care for patients.
A spot check found there was no
single patient being attended to for
lack of health officials.
The project that was once viewed
by many as a glimmer of hope is
now is slowly diminishing before
it even took off. “I was very happy
when I heard a new psychiatric
unit was been opened in our county,
because I have a son who suffers
from mental illness” said Suldana
Abdi, a resident.
Suldana’s son has been ill for many
years and has not received any
form of specialised diagnosis and
treatment except for occasional
oral medication. She says she cannot
afford his treatment and has
resulted to keeping him at home.
“He is violent and all my hope were
on this newly opened psychiatric
unit and as you see am poor and
cannot travel to Nairobi to seek
specialised treatment for my son”
she added.
The visibly stressed mother said it
is common for many families with
individuals suffering from psychiatric
issues to keep them at home
despite them needing urgent medical
care.
When the facility was first opened,
there were enough beds but were
distributed to various wards in the
main hospital, which was facing
bed shortage. The psychiatric unit
was also used to house children
that were affected by the recent
skin disease outbreak in the county.
Recently Sh126 million was
lost in the health coffers including
money meant for the unit, according
to sources.
During the launch governor Abdullahi
termed the project as a
milestone achievement for the
county and the entire northern region
saying it will be a regional referral
center of its kind. But this is
yet to come to fruition.
Efforts to get comments from the
county health executive Rukia
Maalim and chief officer Public
health Abdullahi Maalim alias Furuqa
did not materialise. Our calls
were not answered and messages
not replied to.
The county medical chief of staff
Dr. Noor Mohamed Adan however
denied the claims noting that the
county government did not consider
closing the facility. He said
the hospital was well equipped and
new staff brought in. “We are not
considering closing the psychiatric
unit, on the contrary it is coming
up” said Dr. Noor.
He insisted that the unit was this
month equipped with 50 beds although
he could not establish the
exact number of employed personnel.
His defense cannot however,
be supported given the sorry state
of the facility. “It is not true the
hospital has a single bed and no inpatients.
We have 4 inpatients and
50 beds. We have also hired psychiatrists”
he said.
Studies show that a quarter of the
Kenyan population suffers from a
form of mental disorder and according
to Kenya mental Policy
(2015-2030), released in May.
Apart from lacking medical attention
and care these vulnerable
members of the society are faced
with other numerous challenges
ranging from neglect from family
and friends, stigmatization by society,
abuse and violence among
others. Some of the most common
forms of mental illnesses are depression,
anxiety, bipolar disorders
and schizophrenia which is the
most severe form of mental disorder.
Prevalence of mental illnesses
in Kenya is attributed to poverty,
drug and alcohol abuse and stress.

Nov-Dec,2016
|Kulan Post
Halal Expo
Continued from page 5
would bring in more revenue
and investment if properly organized.
“Halal Tourism is set to surpass
$230 billion by 2020, and everyone
wants to get a share of it,”
Balala said at the opening ceremony
of the Halal Trade Expo.
He challenged the traders to
take advantage of the growing
market.
The exhibition dubbed “Halal
Hub” was attended by ambassador
and High Commissioners
form Malaysian, Yemen and Sudan.
The more than 30 percent of
Kenyan Muslims are inclining
towards Halal lifestyle.
And such event would help
them access and purchase Halal
products and services in their
daily lives.
Ali AbdulMajid, 21, said his
view about Halal concept completely
changed after he attended
the event.
“I previously thought Halal as
something to do with food, but
Alhamdullilah (Thanks to Allah)
this expo has really dispelled
that view.
I can now say, Halal, like Islam
is a way of life,” The second year
Computer Science student said.
The CS called on Muslims to tap
into the Halal conscious markets
citing that there’s a growing need
for investment in Halal business.
“Halal is bridging the gap for
fair trade and it is an emerging
market throughout the world”,
the CS said.
Balala hinted that his ministry
was planning to promote and legalise
Halal Tourism.
Wajir County employees asked to resign before
the 9th of February
Wajir governor Ahmed Abdullahi and his deputy Abdihafidh
Yarow at a past event. The County administration
has notified hopefuls in the 2017 elections to resign.
Photo/ Courtesy
By:Mohamed Mohamud
Wajir County government has
sent out notice to all political
hopefuls to tender in their resignation
before the end of February
next year.
In a memo dated 1st of November,
the Chief Officer at the department
of Labour and Special
Programmes asked the county
employees aspiring to contest
in the August elections to give
their notice of resignation by
November 9th this year.
“This is to inform all public officers
who are intending to cosntest
for elective seats in the
forthcoming elections to give
their notice of resignation by
November 9th,” the memo addressed
to the County Secretary
Abririzack Abdullahi and
the chairman of the head of the
county Public Service Board
www.kulanpost.com
Ibrahim Dahiye, read in part.
No county employee came out
to notify the county administration
of their willingness to
resign by close of business on
Wednesday.
Among the county workers expected
to tender in their resignation
before the end of February
next year is the former deputy
speaker of the 10 parliament
and Garissa Township hopeful
Farah Maalim who is the advisor
to the governor on Economics
and Governance.
Farah belongs to the job group
R earning a monthly gross salary
of sh 200,000.
The Elections act of 2011 stipulates
that, “Any official intending
to contest for elective post in a
General Election to resign six
months before the elections.”

Nov-Dec,2016
11|Kulan Post
Duale and the uphill task of convincing North Eastern Kenya to vote
for Jubilee in 2017 polls
By:Kulan Correspondent
The Jubilee party has tasked Majority
Leader in the National Assembly
Aden Duale to win the hearts
and minds of the Northern voters,
but his assignment is proving to be
a hard nut to crack.
In the last six month, the Garissa
Township MP has been to Garissa,
Wajir and Mandera counties a dozen
times in a bid to convince the
locals to vote for his Jubilee bosses–President
Uhuru Kenyatta and
Deputy President William Ruto.
The opposition to Jubilee’s enticing
campaigns in the last six months
is slowly turning to a revolution of
sorts thanks to Senator Billow Kerrow
and Ahmed Abdullahi of Wajir
County who have openly told
off Duale over Jubilee move.
“The time of shepherding us to
support a party of not our choice is
long gone,” the Wajir governor said
at Ademasajida last month during
a fund-drive for a local Madrasa
where Duale was the chief guest.
The comment caught Duale off
guard since moments earlier, he
was all praise of the governor and
his track-record
It was the second time the Majority
Leader recognized the governor’s
achievement.
The first was during an interview
with a local Somali FM where he
said Wajir County performed better
than Wajir and Mandera Counties.
“The fruits of devolution being
enjoyed by the underdeveloped
counties was championed by Cord
co-principal Raila Odinga,” Governor
Ahmed said, adding that “Kenya
will be better off in the hands of
CORD.”
“It is everyone’s right to debate for
his or her side but my side should
also be respected,” the ODM governor
continued.
In the last general elections, Wajir
County overwhelmingly voted for
Orange Democratic Movement
and is thus considered an opposition
stronghold.
Towards the end of March this
year, MPs, governors and senators
from Isiolo, Mandera, Wajir,
Garissa, Marsabit, Turkana, West
Pokot, Baringo, Laikipia, Samburu,
Tana River, Lamu, Kajiado and
Narok counties convened a never-heard-before
Pastoralist Leadership
Summit held at the Samburu
Simba Lodge in Isiolo County to
express their displeasure at the Jubilee
government.
The leaders from the pastoral communities
met to form a party of
Mohamud said he is worried by
the incident, adding that pastoral
communities should live
together amicably and share
God-given resources. “Let us
stop all hostilities and solve our
differences by embracing dialogue,”
he said. “I also want to
clarify that I didn’t mean it when
I said Baqala belongs to Eldas,”
Amb Mohamud told Kulan Post.
“I was made to understand that
the location of Baqala is a contentious
issue pitting Wajir West
and Eldas constituencies and
had not been clearly placed,” he
added.
He apologised to the people of
www.kulanpost.com
their own to increase their bargaining
power in the next elections.
However Duale—the chairman of
the North Eastern Parliamentary
group—was against the formation
of the party. He said the pastoralist
have found “water and pasture”
in Jubilee, a sentiment that was not
received well in the summit.
“What shows that we are key
stakeholders in the Jubilee government…
other than the Sh168
billion sent to 14 counties inhabited
by pastoralists in the past three
year?” the outgoing Mandera senator
Billow Kerrow asked.
He added, “In these counties, all
the human development indicators
are missing.”
The formation of the party has
since been stalled.
In the pecking order, Mr Duale is
the third most powerful figure in
Jubilee’s political hierarchy and an
affront on him is likely to attract
counter-insurgency measures from
the establishment.
My apology to the people of Eldas and Wajir
West—Amb Mohamud
By:Correspondent
Eldas and Wajir West.
The Kenyan ambassador to Iran
Rukia Subow asked the people
of Wajir County to accept the
apology of Mohamed Abdi.
Humanitarian activist Bishar Ismail
said the “Apology is accepted.”
“I personally knew Amb
(Mohamed) did not say it in bad
intention,” he said.
Amb Mohamed condoled with
the families of those who died
in Baqala. “My thoughts and
prayers are with the families and
other loved ones of those killed,
and I wish quick recovery to
those who were injured,” Amb
Mohamed Abdi stated.

Nov-Dec,2016
By :Seth Onyango
The government, through the
Ministry of Devolution and
Planning, has received a $200
million (sh20Bn) credit facility
from the World Bank to support
the Kenya Devolution Support
Programme.
The four-year programme will
run from 2016/17 to 2019/20
financial years and set out to
strengthen core national and
county institutions to facilitate
delivery of devolved services
and training and peer learning
starting next month.
In subsequent years, counties
may receive from sh 50 million
up to sh 900 million in support
of implementation of projects
contained in the county integrated
development plans, depending
on their performance.
Devolution PS Mwanamaka
Mabruk exuded confidence
Kenyans will appreciate the benefit
of devolution with the implementation
of the programme
adding that the Auditor General
has been mandated to audit the
programme to ensure value for
the aid and forestall any loophole.
Devolution ministry is responsible
for coordinating the overall
programme, while the national
treasury will manage the finances.
Each county will get sh30
million for system development.
The project will train the county
staff to be more adept in managing
devolution which has faced
numerous challenges and also
|Kulan Post
Counties to get piece of sh 20 bn World Bank credit
help improve how key devolved
services, such as healthcare and
road maintenance are delivered
to Kenyans.
Additionally, the programme
will support the County and National
government to improve
results in five core areas including
public finance management
and human resource management.
Others are planning and monitoring
and evaluation systems,
education and public participation
and intergovernmental relations.
Although the programme is
optional, the 47 counties have
been asked to take part by signing
participation agreement and
development work plan.
Fatuma Dayib eyes Somalia Presidency
Continued from page 4
parents in the mid - 1970s . Dayib
was the 12th born of a family that
visited Kenya to seek better medical
attention after all the previous
11 children died of treatable diseases.
As a young child alongside
her family they were deported
back to Somalia, until they were
forced to flee the civil war that
has ravaged her country to pieces.
She ended up in Finland - this
time as a refugee.
But despite her turbulent childhood
full of financial difficulties,
her single mother, who often had
to go to great lengths to make
ends meet, mainly raised her. Despite
the disadvantageous past,
her résumé boasts an impressive
list of credentials.
After receiving several degrees
in International Public health,
Fadumo is currently a MC/MPA
Mason Fellow at Harvard and a
Doctorate candidate with focus
on Women, Peace and Security at
the University of Helsinki.
She also has over a decade of experience
working for the United
Nations. An especially notable
feat considering Dayib didn’t become
fully literate until about the
age of 14. It was when she was
working with the UN in Puntland
that she felt she was indebted to
her nation and that she wanted
to do more to help the people of
Somalia.
Despite not having an extensive
political background, connections
or a privileged upbringing;
she truly believed she can lead
her homeland to a better future.
She says: “I have been waiting for
over 25 years, and nobody was
taking that responsibility seriously,
and that’s when I have decided
to do it.” “I have never been
www.kulanpost.com
involved with the Somali politics
before, so I am really coming in
with a clear record,” she said.
She further goes ahead adding,
“ I have not pillaged, I have not
raped, neither have I stolen nor
been accused of corruption. I
have not been involved in the
skirmishes and am not affiliated
with any religious group or organization
(i.e Al-shabab). I’m
coming here as an independent
candidate.”
Somalia subscribes to a patriarchal
culture where those selected
to hold public office are mainly
men and women leadership remains
a pipe dream.
At the backdrop of Trump election
in the US, a man who had a
low opinion of women throughout
the campaign period, Fatuma’s
case in the Somali context
will prove a hard nut to crack.

Nov-Dec,2016
13|Kulan Post
www.kulanpost.com

Nov-Dec,2016
www.kulanpost.com
|Kulan Post
Should Madaras and mosques receive donation from political
leaders involved in corruption cases?
By: Muhsin Abdullahi
There is an increase in the number
of fund-drives ongoing in the
country and Islamic religious institutions
among them Madrasas and
mosques have not been spared.
In just over two weeks, Wajir
County alone has seen two major
fundraiser where political leaders
lead a fund-drive in support of madrassas.
On September, a fund-drive was
staged in Wajir town where the
Mombasa governor Hassan Joho
attended as the chief guest. In the
event, two madrasas received over
sh 63 million.
At Habaswein last month, Majority
Leader Aden Duale attended a
fund drive where he served as the
chief guest.
Most of the leaders attending this
Opinion
functions are involved in corruption
cases in one way or the other.
That puts their income on question
mark.
The locals cannot object to the donations
of the politicians because
madrasa managements are usually
cash-strapped and desperate for financial
aids.
Typical of a Kenyan politician,
when elections near they pretend
to be close to the people by attending
social service event and
desperate madrasa management
can’t afford to lose the renewed attention.
But before we slip from our discussion,
is it alright for the madrassa
to receive donation from people of
questionable characters?
Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) would not have received
donation from majority of
modern-day politicians and people
with questionable incomes who
have been mentioned in corruption
cases.
Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Umar
(Allah be pleased with him) narrates
that the Messenger of Allah
(Allah bless him & give him peace)
said: “Allah does not accept any
prayer without purity, neither does
he accept charity from what was
stolen from booty (ghulul).” (Sahih
Muslim, Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith
no 1, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan
Nasai & Sunan Ibn Majah).
It is clear from the above hadith
that donation from corrupt politicians
are not to be trusted even
when they mean good for the
course.
When we have politician of questionable
character as chief guests
in events attended by young Muslims,
then we are exposing them to
believe that one can earn from any
source regardless of it being Halal
(acceptable) or Haram (unacceptable).
It’s therefore prudent that as a society,
we have to raise the bar higher
as far as our value system is concern
Believe it or not, islam has actually extended and protected
women’s rights
By:Manar Hijar
Every March 8, my veneration of
Islam is increased as I’m reminded
of the rights provided to me by my
religion — many of which were not
granted to women in the West until
the late 18th and 19th centuries.
At the same time, I recognize the
nescient attitude many individuals
exhibit towards a religion they believe
is oppressive to women and
for this reason it has become necessary
to outline the status of women
in Islam and provide several examples
of women’s rights:
Marriage:
Islam grants every woman the right
to choose a husband. Every woman
has the right to say “yes” or “no.”
Forcing a women to marry an individual
she has not accepted is prohibited
in Islam. A marriage is not
validated unless a woman’s consent
to the marriage is provided.
According to Islamic law, if a women
owned any type of property or
real-estate they remain in her possession
and control after she is married.
This has been a woman’s right
since the creation of Islam unlike
countries in the west in which a
wife’s property was always surrendered
to the husband following
Continued To page 15

Nov-Dec,2016
15|Kulan Post
Islam has actually extended and protected women’s rights
Continued from page 14
marriage up until the enacting of
property rights for married women.
Furthermore, if a women owns
any type of financial earnings like
investments and/or savings these
financial earnings remain in her
possession as well. In fact, according
to Islamic law, a women does
not have to spend a single penny of
her own income, even if she is rich.
The husband’s earnings become
her earnings and she may choose
to save her money and spend her
husband’s money instead. In other
words, what’s his is hers but what’s
hers is ONLY hers.
The Quran demands that husbands
treat their wives with kindness:
“Dwell with your wives in kindness
for even if you hate them, you
might be hating someone in whom
God has places so much good”
(4:19). Muslims also believe that
the Prophet was clear in his command
that women be treated with
kindness and respect.
Career and Education:
Islam has made education a duty on
every Muslim. Gaining knowledge
and seeking education is an obligation
for every Muslim female and
male and is considered a momentous
act of worship. Precluding a
Muslim women’s right of acquiring
an education is against Islamic law.
Muslims believe that women have
played a significant role in the intellectual
progress and procession
of Islam throughout history. Historically,
Muslim women have held
distinguished ranks and provided
major contributions in educational
and career advancements. Several
Muslim women are credited for
helping develop, preserve, and advance
Islamic knowledge.
The Prophet was very vocal in
emphasizing education for every
Muslim both female and male.
Nowhere in Islamic law does it say
that women are forbidden from
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seeking employment. Islam does
not confine women to household
duties.
Historically, Muslim women have
participated in various occupations
and had a major impact on
societal progress.
Politics:
Disenfranchisement of women in
the United States lasted until 1920.
However, the right to vote for Muslim
women is as old as the religion
of Islam itself.
Islamic historical records indicate
women’s active right to vote and
participate in the political decision-making
process have been
around for more than 1,400 years.
Not only does Islam protect a women’s
right to political participation
but it also provides the right to be
nominated to a political position.
Historically, Muslim women have
played a significant role in political
discussions and even argued
with the Prophet himself. Women
were provided several political
and societal responsibilities. They
were even allowed to participate
in managing important state affairs,
like Shifa bint’ abd Allah —
who was appointed the position of
controller of the market during the
Prophet’s time.
The above examples provide only
a small glimpse of the status of
women in Islam. Considering the
mistreatment and oppression of
women in several so-called “Islamic”
countries it becomes difficult to
accept Islam as being a religion of
equal rights. Examples of oppressive
practices permit the West to
exhibit imperiousness in regards
to women’s rights in comparison to
these so-called “Islamic” countries.
Western media and academic discourse
have been successful at providing
examples of Islamic countries
as evidence to bolster their
argument that Islam is an oppressive
religion.
However, any investigation into
the history of Islam would indicate
that Islam has extended rights to
women that the West did not provide
until the late 18th and19th
centuries. While countries like
Saudi Arabia have tainted the image
of Islam — a religion of peace
and equality — it is up to every individual
to educate herself/himself
on Islamic history so that she/he
can be disabused of false perceptions
about the Islamic religion.
One thing is clear and that is that
countries who “represent” Islam
are very disparate from the religion
itself.
The Political Aspect:
Any fair investigation of the teachings
of Islam into the history of the
Islamic civilization will surely find
a clear evidence of woman’s equality
with man in what we call today
“political rights”.
This includes the right of election
as well as the nomination to political
offices.
It also includes woman’s right to
participate in public affairs. Both
in the Quran and in Islamic history
we find examples of women who
participated in serious discussions
and argued even with the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him)
himself (see the Noble Quran 58:14
and 60:10-12).
During the Caliphate of ‘Umar Ibn
al-Khattab, a woman argued with
him in the mosque, proved her
point, and caused him to declare in
the presence of people: “A woman
is right and ‘Umar is wrong.”
In the case of Islam such compassionate
and dignified status was
decreed, not because it reflects the
environment of the seventh century,
nor under the threat or pressure
of women and their organizations,
but rather because of its intrinsic
truthfulness.

Nov-Dec,2016
Sports
|Kulan Post
Football tournament brings together leaders despite political difference
Wajir governor Ahmed Abdullahi (left), Tarbaj MP Mohamed Elmi (in red jersey) and
Siyat Hassan (Right) during the final match of the Siyat Tournament.
Photo/COURTESY
Mohamud Almamy
Since Mashujaa Day celebration
last month, Wajir governor Ahmed
Abdullahi and Tarbaj Member of
Parliament have not had a light
moment since a group of politicians
walked on the governor when
he rose to deliver his speech.
But on Saturday, the leaders could
be seen sharing light moments and
sometimes, engaged in deep conversation.
Mohamed Elmi belongs to the anti-Ahmed
team led by the Eldas
MP Aden Keynan who fell out with
the governor immediately he was
elected to office in 2013.
But on Saturday last week, the two
political foes met at a tournament
in Wajir when they were both,
alongside the head of the Regional
Security Amb Mohamed Salah and
nominated senator Halima Abdille
invited to attend the final game of
the Siyat Tournament.
The tournament, according to
the orgernisor Siyat Hassan, was
aimed at:
“Discouraging radicalization and
displaying talent.” Twenty teams
participated in the tournament
Siyat asked the governor to take
the youth docket under his watch,
saying it mattered a lot to the future
of county.
“I would like to plead with the governor
to bring the department of
Youth Affairs under the Office of
the Governor,” Siyat said.
The governor said he would take
“the advice seriously.” He also
called on the county leaders and
contractors to give back to the society,
saying they owe the youths
a lot.“The youth docket will come
under my office…I will re-orgernise
the office and my press director
will arrange everything,” Governor
Ahmed said.
Northeastern regional coordinator,
Mohamud Saleh urged the local
leaders to allocate funds for sports.
“Leaving youths idle is a ticking
time-bomb. Engaging the youths
in sporting activities would nature
their talent,” Amb Saleh said.
The Siyat Tournament come as
www.kulanpost.com
a reprieve to the youth of Wajir
County because for the first time,
a successful completion was held
and talents identified.
Tarbaj MP Elmi called on the
youths not to engage in harmful
activities.
“Let us all engage in positive activities
and I would like to urge the
youths to say no to radicalisation
and and yes to peace,” he urged.
Nominated senator Halima Abdille
said she was impressed by the
tournament, adding that she would
start her own to engage the youth
in activities that would be worthwhile.
Agostino Neto the head coach of
the national team, Harambee Stars
said the final match has opened his
eyes to local talents. “I want the
strikers of the both teams—Abdiqaliq
Elmoge and Abdi Hassan
Mohamed—to supply me with
their details,” he urged.
The duo have been admitted to the
national team’s under-20 camp for
trials.