DUKSI (AN INFORMAL QURAN) MEMORIZATION PROGRAM IN LAFEY CONSTITUENCY, MANDERA COUNTY

Do you think This has been neglected so much, from provision of Mushaf (Holy Books) to lack of teachers and lack of infrastructure as in classes, sheds etc..

GARRE ONLINE, AFRICA NEWS ONLINE "FAULTED"....BUSTED

 

The Garres (sometimes written as Gurreh, Garre, gharri) while writing their community names online keep changing in all those styles so as to confuse people with their "wayward" lifestyles of creating enemies day in day out and in the protext of expanding what they Call "GARRE DISTRICTS" spanning from Mandera, Wajir, Moyale, Liban Districts of Ethiopia.....Please follow up with them on their "Propaganda websites"....Garreonline and Africa News Online...which they post some bad things about Murulle, which they call Murale....I have posted this from our site, Murulleonline....

 This report we did in October 23, 2008 at the height of Murulle Garre Conflicts...You can read it on http://muruleonline.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-garres-keep-fighting-murulles-all.html

MANDERA COUNTY: THERE IS NEED FOR EQUALITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

Summary:
Mandera, with an increment of Sh1.2 billion, is the second biggest beneficiary should the new formula be implemented.

The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), chaired by Mr. Micah Cheserem, launched marginalization Policy on 27th, February, 2013 at Stanley Hotel, Nairobi.

The Commission on Revenue Allocation was established under Article 215 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 with the main mandate of recommending the basis for equitable sharing of revenues raised nationally between the national and the county governments, and sharing of revenues among the county governments.

Populous counties will receive the most money when revenue is shared between national and county Governments with Nairobi, Kakamega and Bungoma receiving over Sh7billion each to top the list, the Commission on Revenue Allocation revealed.

Using the latest audited figures of Sh610 billion in government revenues collected last year, the CRA proposes distributing Sh200 billion to the counties leaving the national government with Sh410 billion for central government operations.

Mandera County, tops with an increment of Sh1.2 billion, making it the second biggest beneficiary in the country.

MANDERA EAST & LAFEY POLITICS: 2013 AND BEYOND

Like the other constituencies in the vast North Eastern Province, Mandera East still lags behind in terms of development, with very little activity in its predominantly pastoral economy.

Currently, there are no useful projects in place to improve the lot of the local people who are mainly nomadic pastoralists. They depend on their livestock, mostly camels, cows and goats for their survival. The majority of Mandera East residents rely on relief food supplies from the Government and donor organisations due to decades of severe drought which has killed many livestock. The local people say their interests have not been adequately represented in Parliament and addressed by the Government. High on their agenda is the economic backwardness of the local people despite the fact that they are endowed with abundant livestock. No one is helping them to identify markets to sell their livestock.

Education standards in the area are very low, while insecurity is prevalent, with banditry, cattle rustling and violent attacks occurring frequently.This state of insecurity continues to deter economic development and the initiation of projects that can benefit the people. 

A poor infrastructure and lack of communication facilities are the other major problems that plague Mandera East constituents. There is no single tarmac road in the area. Mandera East borders Somalia and Ethiopia and is made up of seven administrative divisions - Central, Finno, Laffey, Qalalio, Warangara, Harerie and Libehia.

The Murule clan of the larger Somali tribe are the predominant inhabitants of the constituency and they have a big say on who is elected. Then there are the Degodia and Garreh clans, who also influence the voting pattern but in a small chunk. The elders of the community are also deeply involved in determining who who runs for both the parliamentary and civic seats. This year, they are looking for Abdille to represent them in Mandera East while Abdi Mude Ibrahim, A former ECK Commisioner to represent them in Lafey District, a new Constituency 


During the 1992 General Election, the Murule Community elders threw their weight behind an MBA (Health Management) graduate, Abdi Mude Ibrahim, to run for the parliamentary seat on a Kanu ticket, but he opted to go to the UK for further studies. The elders then decided to support the former MP, Shaaban Ali Isaack, against the late MP Abdullahi Sheikh Ahmed (Abajana), who won the seat on a Party of the Independent Candidates of Kenya (PICK). A row erupted over the elections and the High Court ordered for a by-election. The late Sheikh once invited the former US Ambassador to Kenya Aurelia Brazeal to visit the constituency. Shaaban Isaack had held the seat temporarily before the by-election towards the 1997 elections.

Come the 1997 General Election, the Murule elders resolved to support Shaaban Isaack who had not sufficiently completed his five-year-term won through a by-electionThe elders still wield so much influence on Mandera East politics. Local political observers claim that the elders now want change and are locked in a series of consultations to decide who among the aspiring candidates will best suit the seat. Shaaban Isaack and Mude Ibrahim, who has since completed his further studies in the UK, are among those said to be in the race for the seat and both come from the big Yabarsein sub-clan who form a 70% Majority within the Murule Community. The two will have to fight it out in lafey District come the 2013 General Election unless the elders iron out their differences.

Previously, All the candidates have had to solicit votes from the minority Garreh and Degodia clans to claim the Mandera East Constituency. Abdi Hassan Haji (Ford Kenya), who was placed second position during the last General Election and we don't have proved report that he is eyeing something. He is one of the contestant capable of causing an upset.

The Incumbent MP (as at 2007-2013) , Hon. Mohamed Hussein alias Qaras had a more momentus period serving the people of Mandera East and with the coming of the general election 2013, he is not defending his seat but has opted to go for the Lafey Constituency seat. He was first elected to parliament in 2007 on an ODM Party ticket. This year, Since he fell out with The Prime Minister Raila Odinga, He was a Lieutenant of Raila's Rival, William Ruto. He also fell out with the community Elders and has since been told to run his own campaign in a style he thinks deem fit.

Previous candidates include another former MP for the area, Mohamed Sheikh Aden alias "Mohamed Ethiopia", Osman Dubane, Ismail Aden Yussuf, Abdirahman Abdinoor "Yam-Yam" and Mandera Boys High School head- teacher, Hassan Sheikh Ali. over the years, It's a mixed bag of contestants who will all have to apply all the tricks from their political armoury if they expected to win the seat.

2013 GENERAL ELECTION : MANDERA EAST & LAFEY CONSTITUENCY

MANDERA EAST CONSTITUENCY:

The candidate so far selected un-opposed from the Murule Community is Abdille and he will have to fight it out with other contestants from other tribes. Abdille will have to see how the issue of Lafey Constituency will be resolved so as to get a bigger share of Yabarsein Votes to compete for Mandera East.

FOR LAFEY CONSTITUENCY, THE ELECTIONS OF 2013

The Candidates include: 

Hon. Shaaban Ali Isaack
THe is a former Assistant Minister for urban authorities, who first won the seat of Mandera East thrice before getting defeated in 2007. Hon. Isaack was a District water officer before he made his debut in politics in 1992 when he was scheduled to be his first time to Parliament. His first stint in Parliament was very brief as he lost to the late Abdullahi Sheikh Ahmed in the general Elections and had to come in through a by-election in 2005. He captured the seat with an overwhelming victory on a Kanu ticket in 1997 General Election, but remained as a back-bencher like the majority of his Kanu colleagues from the vast North Eastern Province.

Isaack worked well with his constituents and Government authorities and has made some efforts that have seen roads repaired and many primary schools established in the constituency. 

A soft-spoken politician, Isaack, 48, went to Arabia Primary School and Garbatula National School. He later joined the Kenya Water Institute in Nairobi and obtained a diploma in water supply technology. This year, he wants to be elected the first MP to serve the new Lafey Constituency. If re-elected, Isaack would like to fight for the provision of better health care, improved standards of education and also ensure adequate clean water for both domestic consumption and for livestock.

Hon. Abdi Mude Ibrahim
Forty three-year-old Mude received his political baptism in 1988 when he took head on a former area MP, Mohamed Sheikh Aden alias Mohamed Ethiopia in Kanu's infamous mlolongo (queue) voting system. He, however, lost to Aden. Mude took his early education in Mandera before joining the Medical Training Centre in Nairobi. He later went to Birmingham University in UK to undertake a degree course in health management. Afterwards, Mude pursued an MBA (Health) programme at the University of Keele, UK.

Mude who is currently a member of the UK Association of Business Executives, had previously worked with the Government in Mandera and later became programme manager of several NGOs. He was also a member of the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya. Mude wants to be elected MP so that he can improve the education standards of the constituents by ensuring that they top the list of those who annually sit for the country's national examinations. He also wishes to initiate self-help projects that will sustain many of the unemployed youth and women.

AL SHABAAB ASSAULT IN MANDERA ENCOUNTERS "THE PUBLIC"

TWO people, including an assailant, died  and eight others were injured in Mandera  town yesterday morning  following an attack by a suspected al Shabaab militia group. Three armed Somali militiamen raided a shop in the trading centre and shot a Kenya police reservist several times in the chest as he attended to his customers. 

Mandera DC Benson Leparmorijo said the three armed attackers stormed the shop in a busy street near the Banisa matatu stage in the border town and appeared to have been looking for the reservist. Immediately after the shooting they tried to escape on foot but members of the public who had witnessed the incident gave chase  and apprehended two of them. They disarmed them and heaped old tyres on one of them who they set on fire. Police saved the other suspect from the mob baying for his blood and took him to Mandera police station where he is being interrogated by detectives and anti-terror police officers.

"On realising that his colleague had been overpowered, one of the fleeing assailants hurled back a hand grenade to the pursuing  crowd causing eight of them severe body,” the administrator added. Leparmorijo said a loaded Ceska pistol and unexploded hand grenade were recovered from the burned attacker.  Those injured by the grenade are receiving treatment at Mandera district hospital.

A witness Amina Yussuf who owns a shop near the one of the shot reservist said the attackers were young men aged between 19-25 years and were masked. She said the attackers appeared to know their target. Mandera town council chairman Mohamed Adan Khalif said the daring attempt by the public to give chase was a sign that the public is dissatisfied with security personnel. The DC said the attacker who managed to escape disappeared toward the border Bulla-Hawa town.

The incident comes barely two months after other attacks left dozens of security personnel dead.

KENYA TROOPS WOUNDED IN LAND MINE BETWEEN MANDERA AND WAJIR

Kenyan official: 9 troops wounded by land mine

The Associated Press

Published: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011 - 5:04 am

GARISSA, Kenya -- A local official says nine Kenyan troops were wounded when their convoy hit a land mine while they traveled between two towns in Kenya's north, near the border with Somalia. District commissioner Kennedy Nyaiyo says it was not yet clear who was responsible for Sunday's explosion as the group moved between Wajir and the border town of Mandera. The incident is the latest in a string of attacks against the military and other targets in Kenya since the government sent troops into Somalia in October.

The Kenyan government said the incursion was a response to kidnappings and other attacks in Kenyan territory that it blamed on the Somali militant group al-Shabab. Al-Shabab has been waging a war against the weak U.N-backed Somali government for years.

In Another incident, An Administration Police officer was killed in Mandera on Sunday afternoon.

The first incident which occurred about one kilometre from Mandera town involved an attack on Administration Police officers while the second in Wajir involved military officers. “The AP’s were patrolling in Bula Hawa when they were attacked, one died while his colleague is wounded,” a senior police officer said. “They were patrolling on foot and he died on the spot.” Police believe the explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED). His colleague who was wounded was rushed to the Mandera district hospital where he was being treated for burns and other related injuries.

In the Wajir-Mandera incident, Separately, nine military officers sustained injuries in a suspected landmine attack that occurred in Wajir town. Police said: “The soldiers were travelling in a convoy of three vehicles when they were attacked.” They were headed to Mandera.

“A military vehicle (Hamvee) drove over an IED-Improvised Explosive Device in Wajir. The vehicle was heading to El Wak. A mobile phone suspected to have been used to detonate the explosive was recovered from the scene,” Emmanuel Chirchir, military spokesman said adding that: “Two soldiers suffered minor injuries, the vehicle was damaged.”

Police reports however, indicated that ten soldiers had suffered injured.

Kenyan security personnel patrolling the Somalia border have been hit with a series of explosion attacks since Kenya sent its troops to fight Al Shabaab inside Somalia, often killing or injuring officers. Security forces at the border points are grappling with threats posed by the insurgents who have been laying landmines mainly targeting police and soldiers patrolling the Somalia border.

Kenyan officials have blamed the hard-line Al Shabaab or their sympathisers for spate of recent shootings and bombings, although armed bandits also operate in the border areas.

POSSIBLE CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN MANDERA KENYA

An outbreak of dengue fever and a likely Cholera Outbreak continues to be experienced in the northeastern Kenyan town of Mandera, close to the Somalia and Ethiopia borders, Where atleast 100,000 people are at risk, according to the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation.

According to the authorities, "The Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness, and sometimes a potentially lethal complication called dengue hemorrhagic fever.” and are urging Mandera residents to use mosquitoes nets and maintain hygiene so that they do to contract the disease.

In addition, the rains experienced now around Mandera and larger North Eastern Province leads to the risk of contamination of water sources and can lead to an increase in water-borne diseases such as typhoid fever, acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), cholera, and hepatitis A. Outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, particularly those spread by mosquitos, such as malaria, dengue and Rift Valley Fever are likely during the rainy season, and increases in cases of pneumonia and respiratory tract infections are common. More than 1,200 cases of dengue have been confirmed in Kenya’s Mandera District since Sept. 23. Flooding in Turkana and Pokot, areas in northwest Kenya, has caused a spread of malaria in the Upper Rift Valley, with outbreaks in Turkana, Kakuma, and surrounding districts. 

“Households remain extremely vulnerable to additional shocks as the severe drought has depleted herders’ assets and reduced crop production.” Oxfam Says

 





A local NGO, Northern Kenya Caucus in collaboration with an International NGO, HORN RESPONSE will carry out a one week Hygiene and Cholera Preparedness in many of Mandera's Locations, including The Lafey District (Kenya-Somalia Border).  The “Dengue Fever attack rate is very high but mortality is very low”, the ministry said in a statement.

A permanent river, Dawa, passes through Mandera. Health officials said residents had been complaining of mosquito bites during the day with the bites swelling.

“Using bed nets was impractical as the vector was biting during the day,” the ministry said. “The Public Health office has also noted the resistance developed by the vector to insecticides of different varieties (Icon and Deltamethrin mainly).” Health authorities have alerted all neighbouring districts and public awareness campaigns are ongoing, advising residents to seek early medical attention.