By Betty Luke
A section of Muslim clerics in Isiolo have called on the county elected leaders to be responsible to the suffering electorates or they face God’s punishment.
Speaking after the last Friday of Ramadhan, the religious leaders said it was unfortunate that instead of the leaders helping tackle challenges faced by the residents they were busy politicking.
“It saddens that the poor are dying of hunger while our leaders are busy travelling to different countries like tourists. Anytime a poor person cries, God’s wrath falls upon the people,” warned Al- Faruq’s Mosque Sheikh Mohammed Abdi Gure.
The cleric wants wrangling leaders to put aside their differences and focus on service delivery to the electorates.
“It is not the right time to show who is superior than the other. It is time to provide solutions to the people who elected you. When the right time comes, the electorates will decide who is superior through the ballot,” he said.
The leaders decried rising insecurity cases across the county that led to the last week’s death of a form Three girl who was travelling to Merti from Isiolo.
While calling for an urgent solution to insecurity, they said it was the government’s responsibility to protect lives and property.
“We cannot continue losing lives as if they are meaningless. No one is allowed to take a person’s life and therefore we call for an urgent intervention to ensure we do not continue losing lives,” said Imam Jibril Sagar.
Politician Osman Shariff wondered how despite having the biggest share of the national government’s budget, the Ministry of Interior was taking too long to end insecurity crisis in the Northern part of Kenya.
“Over 300 billion has been allocated to the ministry (in the current budget) out of which about 40 billion goes to the National Intelligence Service (NIS). How can an attack happen without their knowledge?” he posed.
Mr Shariff called on the Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome to move with speed and tackle the menace that has led to the loss of hundreds of lives and destruction to property.
“Categorizing bandits as terrorists without a proper plan to deal with them adds no value. You need to change the strategy on how you are dealing with them,” said Mr Shariff.
