Garissa
Saturday May 8 2024
KNA by Jacob Songok
A section of MCAs from Garissa County has raised concern over the increasing cases of forced disappearance that they claim are being orchestrated by security apparatus.
The MCAs said that the cases have having going on for far too long and despite the local leadership raising an alarm over the same, nothing ‘seem to change’.
Leaders and area residents together with human rights activists have on some occasion held demonstrations over the same.
Addressing the press at Garissa assembly compound today led by Liboi ward MCA Abdirahman Ali Sheikh, the MCAs alleged that that this year alone, a total of five people have been abducted and are yet to be traced.
They include Abdihakim Mohamed and Jama Adan abducted on April 6 and 9, Osman Yussuf abducted in February while Djibril Abdullahi and Hareth Adan were abducted two months ago.
“We are here to raise our serious concerns about the enforced disappearance and extra judicial killings of our people which unfortunately have become a norm in this part of the country,” said Abdirahman.
Ali said that despite their numerous efforts to try and follow up the matters with the relevant authorities, nothing positive has come out of it, noting that instead the numbers of missing persons keep on increasing.
“As am speaking to you a fortnight ago a young Abdihakim a taxi driver from my ward was picked from his homestead by people believed to be security officers,” Abdirahman said.
“To date he is yet to be traced. This has caused a lot of anxiety to not only the family members but residents at large who fear for their lives not knowing who will be picked next,” he added.
Baraki ward MCA Hassan Dahir appealed to president William Ruto to personally intervene in the matter and not only bring it to a stop but also have the missing persons produced.
Dahir accused the government of applying double-speak saying that it was the same state that promised to end extrajudicial killings and forced disappearance during their campaigns.
“The current Kenya kwanza government promised to put to an end forced disappearance and extra judicial killings of Muslims and Somalis across the region. It is one of the reasons why we overwhelmingly voted for president Ruto,” Dahir said”
The information we have is that all the missing persons are always abducted by the security persons. Our appeal to the president is please stop these atrocities against our people because it’s doing more harm than good in the fight against terror,” he added.
Dadaab MCA Mohamed Abdi said the residents are finding themselves between a hard place and a rock in the fight against terror.
Abdi said while Al-Shabaab on the other side keeps on harassing the residents accusing them of collaborating with the government which they deem as their enemy, the government on the hand is orchestrating abductions and extra judicial killings of their people.
The locals could be willing and ready to work with the security agencies but said communities’ fundamental rights and freedom must be respected adding local leadership will continue to speak up against injustices.
“The Kenya Kwanza government pledged to end extra Judicial killings, and now we have hit a record of more than 10 missing young men from several counties,” he said.
Courtesy: KNA