Less than a week after two teachers were killed in an Al-Shabaab raid at Arabia Boys Secondary School, the local leadership is now blaming the national government for the runaway insecurity in the area.
Mr Omar Maalim, Mandera East MP and a former deputy governor, has attributed the many attacks in the area to the government's failure to provide the needed personnel to Arabia.
"Arabia is a gazetted sub-county in Mandera, but since its elevation last year we are yet to have functional offices that come with the new status," he said, adding that the Interior ministry has ignored Arabia.
DELAYED POSTING
Arabia and Kotulo, in a gazette notice dated June 21, 2017, were announced new sub-counties in Mandera, but only Kotulo has a deputy county commissioner.
"A sub-county has a deputy county commissioner with all the needed security offices," he said.
Mr Abdiaziz Dakat, Arabia MCA, blamed the delayed posting of government officials into the area for the rising insecurity.
"Once a deputy county commissioner is posted here, it will mean all other offices will be available and Arabia will be able to tackle her own issues without relying on Mandera East," he said.
The only police post at the Kenya Somalia border town has been attacked twice by the militants who easily cross in from Somalia.
"We shall have an OCPD and fully functioning security teams that shall oversee our security," said Mr Dakat.
ROADS CLOSED
Through NGCDF, offices have been built in the town ready for occupation. "Those who need government services like birth certificates and other documents cannot get them in Mandera East because it is known that Arabia is a sub-county," he said.
The national government closed the Mandera-Omar Jillow-Arabia road to public use in 2015 after a bus plying the route was attacked by Al-Shabaab leaving 28 people dead. "The government cannot close the roads forever when it has the power
and ability to deal with the cause of insecurity in Arabia. We need the roads secured for our economic viability," said the MCA.
