Keynan storms out of fete after being jeered

Political temperatures were high during Mashujaa Day fete in Wajir town on Thursday with a section of the crowd refusing to be addressed by Eldas MP Adan Keynan.

Mr Keynan was jeered by the crowd soon after he took over the microphone from Tarbaj MP Mohamed Elmi.

"No..No..No..Sit down…" the crowd chanted at Wajir stadium.

Mr Keynan turned to Governor Ahmed Abdullahi and asked him to "rein on the jeering crowd" but Mr Abdullahi remained seated and calm.

The Eldas MP termed the incident unfortunate but declared that he can also mobilize the crowd in the same way.

The MP, together with other two legislators walked out on governor Abdullahi while he was reading his speech to protest against the crowd jeering and disruption.

This was the first time the vocal Eldas MP was attending a national event in the county since 2013 and share a platform with Mr Abdullahi.

The residents said they jeered the ODM MP because he had never attended any national celebration in Wajir county since he was elected.

He also rubbed the crowd the wrong way when he criticized the county government claiming it had achieved little and called for accountability.

The residents started heckling the MP immediately he stood to speak with the situation worsening when he asked Mr Abdullahi’s government to account for usage of public funds.

The drama continued when the public address system went off.

When the crowd calmed down, he was asked to speak but declined instead giving the chance to another speaker.

Mr Keynan’s criticism of the county government contradicts praises it has received from the World Bank and President Uhuru Kenyatta over prudent use of resources.

When the Head of State visited the county in May, he was impressed by the ‘huge development’ since inception of devolution saying it was a sign the system of governance had worked.

The Wajir government has done 28 kilometres of tarmac road in the town, the first of its kind since Kenya attained independence.

It has also installed street lights boosting businesses, dug boreholes for pastoralist communities, built modern offices for various departments and established a medical training college and a teachers training institute.

It took quick intervention by County Commissioner Michael Ole Tialal and the security personnel to restore calm.

Mr Keynan dismissed the protests saying he had come to celebrate and honour the country’s heroes and not to hurl insults at anyone.

He said that it was disrespectful to insult any leader and thus he would not engage in the war of words with anyone.

“In the end of our term, I will put on the notice boards the way I have used Sh380 milion of Eldas that was given to me by the national government, the County Government should show us how they have used Sh29 billion,” Mr Keynan said.

This statement sparked outrage among some county leaders who stood in support of the Wajir governor.

Wajir West MP Abdikadir Ore said during President Kenyatta's visit in the county he praised Mr Abdullahi for making huge achievements and rated Wajir among the best counties "as far as devolution was concerned."

Mr Abdullahi said every individual has a right to express opinion in a right way but not through causing chaos and disruptions.

He termed the call by Mr Keynan for accountability on use of county funds as an election "gimmick as he failed to use NGOs and lobby groups to petition the county’s alleged misappropriation of funds at the Senate."

“Politicians are free to air their opinion. I can defend myself afterwards but giving money to 30 youths to come and disrupt functions is unacceptable,” Mr Abdullahi said.

“Public event heckling will not dent my image. This culture should stop for the greater good of the people. Wajir politics is known to be safe, free and fair and democracy based on consultations and consensus," the governor said.

Area MP Abass Sheikh condemned those out to cause disharmony among locals.