THE INSECURITY AND THE FOUR DEADLY TRAPS IN MANDERA COUNTY
Why the poorest countries (in this case the Counties) are failing
and what can be done about it? Mr. Paul Collier-the author of the book (The
Bottom Billion :) discussed 4 primary reasons that coursed this permanent failure.
I only discuss 3 of the 4 traps and add other 1trap of my own analytical
insight in respect to the situation on the ground in Mandera. These traps are
as follows.
1. Weak governance in the county- Initially, before the
promulgation of the new constitution or rather devolution came the power to
employ and rule was completely in the hands of the national government. This
was done by merit mostly. People use to struggle for studies thus leaders were
then competent and doing their job wisely because they were answerable to the
then only government. Now the chain for command is too long. The chain contains
incompetent and inept leaders who were don’t care in nature. They lied to the
people and eventually coned their votes.
The World Bank defines public sector governance as the way the
state or the county acquires and exercises its authority to provide and manage
public goods and services, including regulatory services. Did we comply with this?
2. Conflict- Almost three-quarters of the people in Mandera County
live in conflict or post- conflict and constant fear.
Collier reports his and Hoeffler’s striking findings that conflict
(both civil wars and coups) is little related to the intensity of political
repression or the depth of historical grievances. (.Rebels usually have
something to complain about, and if they don’t, they make it up) Rather,
violence is best predicted by poverty, lack of growth, dependence on misgoverned
resource wealth, and a previous history of civil conflict or coups.
Between 60%-70% of the graduates youths in the county are not
employed due to conflict and post conflict accompanied by tribe issues, therefore
they will only have few options, Either to join the black listed groups or rob
the innocent Civilians because they don’t meet their expectations and hopes in
the county. County Job employments are not based on merit, skills and education
but based on ‘‘WHOM’’ you have in the corrupt system. The criteria for
employment is ‘‘whom you know NOT what you know’’. Almost every person is
grieved and oppressed by this regime. The conflict is accompanied by Injustices,
highly respected Corruption, malfunctions of democracy through patronage
politics, and often, autocracy. This is how the county system is run. I think
we are using the wrong approach to sustain or fine security in Mandera.
3. Mismanaged dependency on natural resources. Mandera County is a
resource dependent county. The county further gets close to Ksh 9billion every
fiscal year from the national government. Yet the leaders are on the periphery
of failure. Look, the distribution of recourses to the 6 constituencies in the
county? Is it equally, fairly and faithfully distributed? Why the county
TENDERS are repeatedly cancelled and taken to court? Think of it. Resources are
absolutely mismanaged and the billions are completely misused and siphoned off
to unknown places.
The gap between the poor and
the rich are widening day by day. The poor is getting poorer and the rich is
getting richer. This is economical disorder and needs urgent remedy.
4. Existence of Council of elders. These are very powerful old men
composed between 15 to 20 men headed by Ugas.This elders have became a
cancerous cell in the heart of many Manderian. They infringed the constitution,
resources and other opportunities in the county. They gave orders to almost all
county leaders including the governor and the senator plus their cohorts.
This is the fact and every person in Mandera and the nationwide
knows about it. Luckily, some individuals are wholeheartedly working to get a
solution for these 4 dead-end traps.
Manage these four (4) traps
if you want our security to be 100% okay. I’m not anti-government, I love peace
and good security in Mandera, but I have discovered the approaches to peace and
security issues in Mandera. Our leaders do aware the solutions for all these
menace, if they do with it, their personal interest will get crushed and
therefore, the only way forward is to not get involve at all.
