Quick Hits: Youths Storm Municipal Council Offices & Nurses Assaulted in Sakuri

 This morning, my inbox was stuffed with e-mails from readers informing me about what some of them termed 'a revolutionary fervor' bubbling in our city.

Yesterday, about 8-10 youths from the Northern forum for Democracy(?) were arrested and arraigned in court after they  stormed the Garissa Municipal Council offices. All of the accused youths were released on free bail and will have allegation against them heard by a judge at a later date.

Does this represent a break with our passive past? No one can conclusively say so but we hope this heralds a  change in the fear pyramid where citizens move to the top of the hierarchy.


                                  ****

In an eerily similar circumstance, a bunch of youth were arrested in Sankuri and are now facing charges of aggravated assault causing bodily harm and forcible confinement after they severely beat up two nurses at a dispensary in the village and locked up a third in a room.

The nurses have been brought to Garissa General Hospital for treatment. Its not clear what led to this act of random violence. Sources I've spoken to claim that some one who was claiming to be sick played a major a role.

In any case this was highly unnecessary and avoidable. Attacking healthcare workers for no reason is not part our culture.
We wish both ladies a quick recovery.

Nairobi Star: Garissa Boasts of the biggest Livestock market in East & Central Africa

According to Interpol, Garissa town is reportedly the safest town in East and Central Africa. The pastoralist town added yet another feather in its cap for having the biggest livestock market in East and Central Africa.
The 5.38-hectare market which is as old as Garissa town started off as a meeting point for barter traders before gradually developing into the renowned livestock market. The market receives livestock from Kenya and other neighbouring countries like Somalia and Djibouti.


Among the animals paraded for sale include cattle, camels, goats and donkeys. Of these, the cattle are the fastest moving commodity thus the huge market is generally referred to as 'Soko la Ng'ombe'.
Wednesday is the official market day of the week. By eight o'clock in the morning, the market is fully packed and is a buzz of activity with people from all walks of life trying to haggle for a fair price.


Osman Dubat, 70, from Mogadishu is one of them. His greatest intent this particular Wednesday is to buy more cattle for his ranches. When we meet, he is in deep negotiations with Nkaiseri Ole Tipis from Kajiado Central. "I have been doing this for the last 20 years, I always come and buy the cows at a lower price before selling them at higher one. I am a butcher so after I buy them, I fatten them at my ranches then slaughter them for sale."


Another determined trader Ibrahim Farah from Djibouti admits that he had been camping in Garissa four days prior the market day to offload his 300 head of cattle. "With the ongoing drought which is being experienced in some parts our country, I saw no need to continue keeping this number of animals only to lose them through drought. I decided to bring them to this market because in Djibouti we don't have a big livestock market like this one."


During the high season, over 2,000 head of cattle gets traded off at the market. This number makes the city council Sh350, 000 in market fees. "For each donkey and every head of cattle we charge Sh160, while for camels its Sh300 and Sh40 per goat and sheep. This money we collect helps us run our business as a council thus we are able to improve our services to the people of Garissa," revealed Garissa Town Clerk Erastus Karani.



The town clerk however says that the council still faces its fair share of challenges including neighbouring communities trying to encroach the market land. Through the Kenya Municipal Programme, the council is now making plans to put up a perimeter wall around the market to remedy this problem. "We also intend to put up a shed for the traders and extra toilets to cater for the thousand plus people we admit. The water troughs also need to be replaced as they are worn out."


According to another government official David Cheruiyot who serves as the Garissa District Livestock officer, an abattoir needs to be set up. "We have a big number of weak animals that die in the market. The construction of this abattoir will go a long way to help create another source of income for these animal owners because currently when the animals die, they get disposed off."


                                             Post taken verbatim from Nairobi Star

Dualle Endorses Mutunga

 National man of idiocy, Aden Dualle, had a rare moment of clarity and coherence when he came out in support of the newly nominated chief justice to be, Dr. Mutunga, infront of cameras of course.

This represents the first time our poodle-boy has a major break with his Kalenjin over-lord, Ruto, on a matter of policy and national significance.

You know what they say, even a broken clock is right twice day.

Here is the video:

Garissa High Upgraded to a National School

Hey Garissans! Can I have everyone's attention? I've got a big announcement to make here. Call in Caliyow and halima, I don't want them to miss this.

In Garissa, you may have heard, we are big fans of hand-outs and undeserved upgrades. So understandably we are over-joyed by the news that our most famous school is getting upgraded to "national" status. And that's not the end of this great piece of news. The cherry on top of the awesomeness that is this cake : the school gets Sh. 25M to help in upgrading its facilities.

Financially, this has been a windfall year for Garissa High. The school has amassed about Sh. 30 million from the Government and Unicef. Remember, the school was also designated as a sports talent nurturing academy. That designation came with close to Sh. 5 million in backing!

Reality


Lets all remember that Garissa High does not deserve this promotion. Its academically inferior to most schools in other parts of the country and that has nothing to do with marginalization or socio-economic disparities.

Majority of students in the school are either self entitled brats or fatalistic stoners who do not work hard for anything. The Principle is a perpetual absentee administrator with political ambitions and a self-aggrandizing persona. The parents do not give a rat's ass about how the school is run. Clearly thats not a national school culture.

If Garissa high wants to be welcomed into a league that includes Starehe Boys & Alliance High, the schools laissez faire attitude toward failure and mediocrity has to be shed. In its place should come selectivity and rigorous curriculum. 

Profiles in Modern Discrimination {Citizen TV}

 Citizen TV profiled Mohamud Hussein, a 21-year old Garissa resident whose efforts in trying to acquire national Identity card have been rendered futile due to discriminatory policies put in place by a modern day fascist government.

Every time we belly up to the filthy inarticulate explanations offered by authorities, their dishonesty embarrassingly bares itself out.The way the buffoonish D.C contemptuously addresses an issue that riles up emotions in NEP, as though it were sideshow clearly shows how little regard he has for the complaints of the public. He kept referring to us "These people" and "Hawa Watu" as though we are some alien population.

The very same man who has enriched himself [through bribe solicitations] by lording this document over genuine Kenyans is condescendingly pointing fingers at us. What a sham!




I am glad that Citizen TV has brought light to an issue that we Somali Kenyans are passionate about.

Martha Karua turns to Ageism to disparage Yussuf Hassan

The Kamkunji by-election is turning out to be a crash course in all the vile things Kenya's politics is capable of. We've seen everything from racism to religious discrimination to tribal politics to violent intimidation and now comes the only other form of discrimination xenophobes could think of: Ageism.

In a much  publicized confrontation, Martha Karua turned to her natural talent of discriminating against non-kikuyus/sycophants to drum support for her minion (Brian weke), but this time round her excuse was the age of Yussuf Hassan.

In a belligerent display of ageism, Karua claimed that Yussuf Hassan's age disqualifies him from holding public office. Remember, this very woman in what is becoming characteristic, referred to Somalis as "refugees" and also refused to ask her puppet, Weke, to apologize for his outlandishly racist campaign tone.

Leave it to Yussuf to muzzle the Gichugu witch with a zany zinger that went something like this:

“If it is about age and voting for young people then may be my sister (Ms Karua) here should also drop her quest to be president because we are the same age,”

BURN!!!!



Read full story here.

Sergeant Yussuf Hassan's Murder

Senior Sergeant Yussuf Hassan Hafi was cowardly gunned down by a junior officer in Parklands Police Station. According to media reports, Constable Jacob Rop was of questionable mental health and likely suffering from severe depression. Its reported that the officers engaged in some verbal back-n-forth before the suicidal Rop opened fire on his senior and another officer who came to check out the fracas.

The Sergeant was a native of Garissa. He was a father and a grandfather. His family and relatives are in our thoughts and prayers.
 May Allah grant him Jannah.

Read full story here