Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali (Centre) and Deputy Governor Solomon Gubo (second left) wave to the crowd after being sworn in for the second term | PHOTO-Courtesy
By Eastern Correspondent
Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali has pledged to change the lives of Marsabit residents and give them an equal footing in society through development programs and projects before the completion of his second term in office.
Speaking during his swearing-in ceremony, Governor Ali reiterated his vision for the residents of Marsabit and blamed the slow pace of the implementation of the county development plan on the drought situation, banditry attacks, tribal animosity, delays in disbursement of funds by the National Treasury and the covid 19 pandemic.
Governor Ali who saw off stiff competition for the top job exuded confidence in his master plan for Marsabit and called on the local leaders and residents to back him adding that teething problems like treasury disbursement were addressed by the new cash disbursement model agreed upon by the Council of Governors and Treasury.
He called on his officers to prepare for a busy period as he completes his final term adding that it will not be business as usual as he aims at cementing his legacy as the second Governor of Marsabit through strategic and targeted development programs.
Mr. Ali cautioned his staff against what he termed as ‘laziness’ at work and vowed to crack on such vices in order to reap fully from the available human resource while safeguarding taxpayer’s monies.
The County boss bemoaned the poverty situation in Marsabit that has been compounded by the drought situation which is the worst to hit the horn of Africa region in the last 40 years and pledged to find a sustainable model of livelihood for residents to complement the short-term interventions already instigated by the government key among them being the provision of clean and safe water for domestic and commercial use.
The Governor noted that water provision would cushion the traditional pastoralist community to tackle drought-related complications while also offering an opportunity for residents to venture into small-scale farming.
Governor Ali urged local residents to foster peace and collaborate with his administration to achieve his vision adding that stability was key to sustainable development.
“The common denominator for each of our priorities is improving the quality of life for all citizens. But we must commit here and now to work together and to reject all forms of partisanship, hate, and political bitterness that would hold us back” Sai Ali.
The County boss further said that the flaws and failures from the first term will be used as a learning experience by his administration to forge a new dawn for Marsabit County and usher in sustainable development for all residents.
“The lessons we’ve all learned, the strides we have made and the challenges we encountered during my first term in office must usher in a new era,” Governor Ali said adding it will be “an era where we can acknowledge and work around our differences while refusing to sacrifice truth and facts. Where the dangerous conflicts that took place in our County can never be tolerated or justified.”
Governor Ali appealed to all leaders to join hands and build the County of Marsabit for the benefit of the residents.
