THE INSECURITY AND THE FOUR DEADLY TRAPS IN MANDERA COUNTY

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.