MP fault government for evacuating health workers

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Health workers from Bura East, Fafi Sub County in Garissa board a police chopper at Bura East airstrip

Fafi MP Abdikarim Osman has faulted the decision by the national government to evacuate seven non local health workers from Bura East, the headquarters of Fafi sub-county.

On Saturday, a police chopper was dispatched to airlift all non-local healthcare workers from Bura Sub-County Hospital over fears of an impending terror attack.

Through his Facebook page Abdikarim said that the action by the national government ‘is tantamount to ceding Fafi Constituency Headquarters to the ragtag terrorist outfit based on an unauthenticated and false security alarm’.

“This is utter abdication of responsibility on the part of the national government. If indeed there is credible intelligence to the supposed attacks, it is expected that all the residents of Bura are to be secured instead of airlifting some few public servants,” he said.

The MP said besides, the idea of separating people into ‘locals’ and ‘non-locals’ binary plays right into the hands of the terrorists who have long endeavoured to achieve this divisive outcome. 

 “I therefore call upon the government and the local Security Committee in particular to immediately rescind the hasty decision to evacuate the healthcare workers from hospitals in areas that have no history of terror attacks including Bura Sub-County Hospital,” he added as he called on the government to deploy more security officials to the area.

Mohamed Diis a resident from Bura said there are over 100 security personnel based in Bura town who can provide ample security to everyone in the area.

 “Evacuating the health workers is denying the locals their universal right to access healthcare. The Kenyan government should treat all citizens equally, “Diis said. 

 “If at all there was intelligence of impending attack, should the government withdraw from the area or beef up the security?” he posed.

The resident said when Kamuthe center was attacked, the government withdrew the security personnel and health staff ‘basically abandoning the locals.’

Diis regretted that education in Fafi constituency is on its knees after all the teachers were withdrawn and now all the health personnel are being evacuated ‘as if Fafi constituency is no longer a Kenyan territory.’