The issue of de-registering of Kenyans whose finger print were captured in the refugee database and the re-opening of the Liboi border point featured prominently during the official commissioning of the Liboi sub- county, Garissa.
Several leaders who spoke at the colorful ceremony regretted that the exercise has dragged for long thereby subjecting those affected to untold suffering.
In November 2019 the government launched a month-long exercise to de-register Kenyans who might have mistakenly registered as refugees.
The colorful ceremony which was attended by several local leaders among them Garissa Governor Ali Korane was presided over by the Interior Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Patrick Ole Ntutu.
The government then embarked on the exercise of vetting the affected.
But now the leaders are crying foul saying that the government seems not in a hurry to complete the exercise and give the victims Kenyan ID cards. They say they are suffering.
They included; Dadaab MP Mohamed Dahiye, Mohamed Hire[Lagdera], Sofia Abdi Noor [Ijara] women representative, Anab Gure the former governor, Nathif Jama, former MPs Mohamed Shidiye and Farah Maalim and several MCAs.
Dahiye whose constituency has been affected the most wondered why the exercise has dragged for long, despite the victims having been thoroughly vetted by the committees.
“When the government finally headed to our pleas and numerous requests to look into the matter and launched the exercise at Garissa primary school playgrounds a year ago, we were a very happy as both leaders and those who were affected. Unfortunately, our joy has been short-lived since nothing seems to be moving,” said Dahiye.
He added, “As a leader, I have tried my best to follow up on the matter through the relevant offices but all I am told is that it is being worked on. Surely, until when? We are talking about people who have lost independence. They cannot move around, go to college or even open bank accounts.”
Lagdera MP on his part urged the government agencies charged with the responsibility to hasten the process so that the affected get their lives back to normalcy.
Ijara MP on her part said that it would be wrong for those who are handling the exercise to drag it saying that doing so ‘was only making the victims life’s more miserable’.
“But I would want to address the elephant in the room, stories of people saying that the numbers of community A will become more than those of community B once the exercise is finally concluded should neither be here nor there. They are Kenyans and should be treated as such because its their constitutional right. This issue is very sensitive and should not be politicized by anyone for selfish interest,” Sofia said.
The leaders also urged the government to re-open the border now that the area is now a fully fledged sub-county. This they said will fasten development and deepen ties between the two neighboring countries. Dahiye said the move will also curb insecurity incidences especially those targeting security personnel seen out to stop the illicit trade.
However., north eastern regional commissioner Musyoka Ndalana who was the chief guest said that the issue of de-registration was at an advanced stage and ‘soon there will be some positive news’.
On the issue of border re-opening, the RC said that it involved two countries where each side is supposed to open its.
“If there is a designated border point, there must a mutual agreement between two countries and that is where the biggest problem is. We cannot have our and our neighbors don’t have there’s’. That is therefore a matter that is worked on,” he said.