Tana River MPs want Garissa governor, two others arrested over incitement
Members of Parliament from Tana River County have given a three-day ultimatum to the Inspector of Police Hillary Mutyambai and Director of Criminal Investigations to arrest and prosecute Garissa Governor Ali Korane and his Deputy Abdi Dagane for inciting Somali community against the Pokomo.
The MPs Ali Guyo Wario (Garsen), Said Hiribae (Galole) and area women representative Rehema Hassan also want Abdikhaim Osman questioned for threatening to unleash outlawed militia group Al-Shabaab to evict residents of Tana River from a dispute electoral boundaries between two counties.
They alleged that the Garissa governor, his deputy and Fafi legislator have incited his people to attack Tana River Governor Godhana Dhadho should he step on the adjudication zones.
“We demand that the government takes stern action on Garissa Governor Ali Korane and Fafi MP Abdikarim Osman for spreading hatred and incitement,” Wario told a press conference at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday.
He went on: “Tana River people must be shielded from the poisonous utterances of such leaders. We demand that the three politicians be arrested and prosecuted for threatening peace and stability among our people."
“We are law-abiding citizens if the law protects all of us, who will protect us from the militia about to be unleashed on our people,” the Garsen legislator asked.
The lawmaker claimed the county government of Tana River is unable to serve its people because of the incitement and fear of violence in those regions.
He observed a month ago, Osman had threatened the governor while having a meeting at Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi’s office at Harambee house.
“If we can’t feel safe in the office of the Cabinet secretary, where will be our security guaranteed,” he noted.
Despite reporting the incident at Parliament police station, the action is yet to be taken against the Fafi lawmaker.
“They claim they have their own militia is this a country with law and order or the rule of the jungle,” he queried.
He has asked the Garissa legislators to respect their boundaries and stop causing unnecessary animosity.
On her part the area Women Representative Rehema Hassan accused the police of being compromised as they have failed to arrest Osman despite numerous threats to their lives.
“It is like this government is pushing us to protect ourselves. We, the people of Tana River is ready for them, we will act and respond accordingly if provoked,” Ms. Hassan said.
He continued, “Osman should prepare himself, we will reduce him to minced meat if he attempts to bring war. It will be an eye for an eye,” she added.
“If he dares touch or any of his constituents attacks our people. We will respond accordingly, He wants us to fight we will do exactly that, not even an inch our land will go Garissa County,” the Women rep explained.
She noted that if Garissa County had registered lower numbers in the recent released census numbers and they want to have more by axing some regions from their county, they will not allow such to happen.
“They should look for other means to inflate their numbers but not grabbing our land,” Rehema cautioned.
Meanwhile, Galole legislator Said Hiribae has threatened to rally his people to take the law into our hands and protect ourselves.
“If the government has refused to take action by protecting our people and their properties, we are not cowards we will defend ourselves,” Hiribae said
He added, “All indications are that they are not ready to shield us from our aggressors. As such, we have no option left but to protect ourselves, property and land. Our message is that no single inch our ancestral land will go Garissa or Kitui County,
