MANDERA, Kenya — Former Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow has criticised a decision by local authorities to relocate this year’s Jamhuri Day celebrations from the county headquarters to Elwak Town, saying the move is wasteful and insensitive at a time when residents are grappling with a severe drought.
Speaking through a public statement on X, Kerrow said every leader in Mandera — including those in county government — has appealed for urgent support as communities face worsening food and water shortages.
He questioned why millions of shillings would now be diverted to fund the logistics of shifting the national holiday festivities instead of addressing the humanitarian emergency.
“There is a drought in Mandera. Every leader, including those in the county leadership, has appealed for assistance to help the suffering residents,” he wrote. “Yet, it is now being confirmed that the 12th December Jamhuri Day celebrations will be moved from the county headquarters to Elwak Town. The cost of moving these activities will run into millions of shillings.”
Kerrow described the plan as “a dumb move,” arguing that both the county administration and the security team led by the County Commissioner were prioritising prestige over the immediate needs of families facing hunger, livestock losses, and dwindling water sources.
“In the midst of severe drought when such money should have been used to help residents, the county government administration feels if the national government has done it, it should also do so… hold the celebrations in other towns,” he said.
“The county government administration and the county commissioner’s team should abandon this misadventure and use these resources to help the suffering residents. The national government should not allow it.”
Mandera, like much of northern Kenya, has been battling a prolonged dry spell linked to erratic weather patterns and failed seasonal rains. Humanitarian agencies have warned that the region’s pastoralist communities are at heightened risk as grazing fields diminish and water pans dry up, pushing households into food insecurity.
Local leaders have in recent weeks urged both the county and national governments to scale up relief interventions, including emergency water trucking, livestock off-take programmes, and the distribution of food and nutritional supplements to vulnerable families.
Kerrow’s remarks reflect growing public frustration over what residents view as slow or inadequate response measures despite repeated pleas from community elders, clerics, and political leaders.
Civil society groups in Mandera have also urged authorities to treat the drought as a priority emergency and suspend non-essential expenditure until stability returns.
As the Jamhuri Day preparations proceed, pressure is mounting on the county administration to reconsider its plans and redirect resources toward lifesaving interventions for drought-stricken communities.
