By Abdullahi Jamaa
The Wajir story of tuk-tuks and V8’s started at Mombasa’s Paradise Inn, a coastal resort 800km away from home. This is a story of ‘us versus them’ where protagonists and antagonists were ironically bonding away from the public gallery. It culminated into a new political show- The Wajir version of Hollywood’s ‘Wag The Dog’
“Is Wajir transforming into one Shithole County?” a concerned resident asked, then I responded with a quote by former Egyptian president Anwar Al-Sadat “There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones”
The good and the bad of every community are reflected in its leadership. The performance of Wajir’s county assembly is far less than stellar; thanks to our MCA’s for knowing which side of their bread is buttered.
With the story of tuk-tuks and V8’s, we have just witnessed a new low of leadership where some female members of the county assembly have vented their anger on social media castigating each other openly disregarding social norms and leadership qualities.
After the recent fist-fight inside the county assembly, the removal of the mace and never-ending online rage, this week’s incident marks another disturbing political crisis. Is our county’s representation on trial?. What is the message our MCA’s are sending to the public who elected them?
Their role is to provide effective representation at the county level, however, this is not the case in Wajir; both elected and nominated members assumed the county as a cash cow for them. Their arrow of power is faintly facing the wrong direction.
There can only be two explanations for the inefficiency of the county assembly of Wajir: that they don’t know their role as elected representatives or that they are keen to only advance their self-interests ignoring the cries of the people.
The assembly as it is now is against the people of Wajir. Their priority number one is self-interest and the second is their clan. The house’s bargaining power dwindled and the executive realized their weakness tossing them like a valueless coin.
MCA’s have grouped themselves into two: one that fantasizes the former regime and another that idolizes the current executive. This week’s confrontation between the two groups is a clear culmination of how they spend at their bosses’ beck and call.
While many residents are lashing their anger against the office of the governor, there seems to be a monumental problem at the county assembly. Wajir MCA’s hold the wrong side of the stick; they have allowed themselves to be the laughing stock of the town degenerating the powerful house into a pointless pavilion of bad-politics.
From the executive where the problem of Wajir leadership is getting choked, maladministration and lack of professionalism ruin devolution. Administratively, the inclusion of unelected family members into the affairs of the county is seen by many residents as an affront to basic ethics of governance.
Whereas the first lady of Wajir has got a golden opportunity to take part in charity and development work as part of wider campaign to address the problem of the residents, constitutionally, the office of the first lady is non-existent.
Her engagement with MCA’s in Mombasa whether or not this is true or false sends shivers down the spine of many electorates. It takes us to question the role of first ladies of all counties throughout the country.
Kenya’s Council of Governors apparently blended their wives into the devolution system; their matrimonial partners have since formed an outfit known as County First Ladies Association (CFLA).
Former Attorney General Prof. Githu Muigai is on record to have said that governors’ spouses should neither be allocated county offices nor be entitled to a budgetary provision for their outreach activities.
At the community level, the role of the first lady of Wajir should be outstanding; complementing the work her husband, bolstering his pre-election pledges, unifying communities especially women groups who seem to bear the brunt of underdevelopment.
From the part of the executive, professionalism is nothing to write home about. The governor’s PR and Communication team are seemingly engaging the public through social media in a melodramatic fashion that barely satisfies the integrity of the county boss and his anticipated political legacy.
The county communication team is wasting more of its sapping energy on counter-attacking the sardonic former regime that has also invested heavily in online propaganda and innuendos consistently posted on Facebook.
Whereas the communication and PR team have an obligation to disseminate government information, they have no right to spoil the public space with an unhealthy torrent of gossips. The raging war of words is putting the impoverished residents of Wajir between a rock and a hard place. The war is now between the former and latter, the rest of us are seemingly spectators- the silent majority.
The endless barrage of political confusion calls for sobriety and self-reflection from both the people and their leaders. In our county, many things are getting out of hand as anticipated devolution seems to create devastation.
Editor’s Note: the views expressed here is that of the author, it doesn’t represent that of The Plu Media.
