Governor accuses some staff of working in Somalia while earning county pay

Ghost workers drawing salaries in Mandera County will soon be smoked out, Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif has warned.

Mr Khalif said immediately he receives a report from a taskforce looking into the health situation in the county, he will initiate the payroll clean-up.

“We have 4000 county staff in Mandera but not all are reporting at their places of work. I am aware some of the work in Somalia while drawing salaries from Mandera,” he said.

He added: “Our next agenda is dealing with the ghost workers and you have to choose where and whom to work for. You either work for Mandera County Government or exit. When cleaning the payroll, it will not be about your clan but you as an individual”.

Governor Khalif spoke during swearing in ceremony of the 10 executive committee members on Monday.

While congratulating the new team, Mr Khalif warned that he will not entertain laxity in his cabinet.

“We have now to implement our campaign manifesto. We are focusing on a few items that have a huge impact on the residents of Mandera. I have a very able team that will deliver our political pledges,” he said.

Mr Khalif urged his team to dedicate their time to serving locals.

“We are now under public scrutiny over what we promised to deliver and time is now. We need to concentrate on our job and deliver,” he said.

He urged the residents to accept his choice of cabinet, maintaining that it is all about service delivery and not sharing of positions among clans.

“We have to accept that services can be delivered by anyone else who is not related to you. If you go to the hospital it is not a must you be treated by a nurse from your clan. We have to support our staff so that we can develop our county,” he said.

Mandera County Commissioner Onesmus Kyatha pledged collaboration between national and county government.

“As national government team, we are ready to join the county government and work harmoniously. The new team must know and understand that it is not easy but we must carry ourselves with a lot of dignity and you must be fair to all communities in Mandera,” he said.

County administration

Mr Kyatha called on locals to support the county administration.  

The county executive includes Ms Amina Hassan Ahmed (Roads, Public Works and Housing), Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Adan (Finance and Economic Planning), Dr Mohamud Adan Mohamed (Health Services) and Mr Bashir Ibrahim Alio (Education).

Others are Mr Mohamed Ali Omar (Water, Energy and Climate change), Mr Barre Mohamed Shabure (Public Service) and Mr Adan Dagane Hamud (Agriculture and Livestock).

Ms Nathifa Ahmed Mohamed (Trade and Co-operative Development), Mr Sala Maalim Alio (Lands and Urban Development) and Ms Sumeya Bishar Musa (Social Services) were also sworn in.

Mr Billow Issack Hassan and Adam Somo took oath of office as the county secretary and county attorney respectively.

Dr Mohamed (Health), Mr Omar (Water) and Ms Mohammed (Trade and Co-operative Development) were retained from the previous administration.

Ms Amina Hassan, is a teacher by profession, a seasoned politician who vied for the Woman Rep seat in 2013 and lost to Ms Fathia Mahbub and again in 2017 lost to Ms Amina Gedow.

In the last election, she went for the Mandera senatorial seat but stepped down in favour of Mr Ali Roba only to be rewarded with a county executive position.

Ms Sumeya Bishar Musa is a former Jubilee Party nominated MCA in Isiolo who unsuccessfully contested for the County Woman Rep seat in the August 9 elections.

Ms Bishar who is DAP-K Deputy Secretary-General worked at Barclays Bank as Customer Relations Manager for four years and with the United Democratic Forum Party for two years before it was dissolved in 2016 following the Jubilee Party merger.

Mr Bahir Alio (Education), is a former MCA who lost in the August contest while Mr Barre Shambure served as MCA between 2013-2017 before he was picked as chief officer for Lands and Urban Development.

Mr Salah Maalim Alio (Lands and Urban Development) was picked to dilute his activism that saw him drag the former administration to court countless times.

Mr Alio vied for ward rep seat but lost in the August 9 elections.

Implementation of the Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan in Mandera for Mandera town was stopped by the Environment and Land Court after Mr Alio petitioned the county government.

He also took the Mandera government to court over illegal operation of Garbaqoley dumpsite and a slaughter house in Mandera town.