Garissa Leaders Trade Blame Over Rising Insecurity as Criticism of Noordin Haji Intensifies
Garissa, Kenya — A heated debate has emerged within Garissa County as residents and political voices clash over who should be held accountable for recurring insecurity incidents across the region. The conversation, which has dominated local community forums, centres on whether Interior Cabinet Secretary Noordin Haji is being unfairly targeted for failures that involve multiple security agencies.
Local commentator Ugass Ali Yussuf sparked discussion after criticising what he called a pattern of blaming Haji for every security lapse in Garissa, while past incidents involving other leaders were met with silence.
Yussuf noted that during the tenure of former Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Special Forces were accused of conducting operations in Dadaab, Halugho, and Ijara that reportedly resulted in abductions and extrajudicial killings. Despite these claims, he said, families directly affected — such as the Awliyan and Abdalla clans — did not publicly condemn Duale.
The obsession with Haji appears less about genuine security concerns and more rooted in political bitterness, he wrote. He outsmarted and outmanoeuvred key political players in Garissa, threatening the interests of one powerful family.
Other community members disagreed, urging that insecurity in Garissa should be viewed as a county-wide challenge, not a clan-specific issue.
When security problems occur in Garissa, they affect all of us, said resident Abdullahi Dubat. What affects Aulihan affects Samawathal — insecurity should never be tribalised.
The dispute comes as Garissa continues to face threats linked to al-Shabab militants, especially in border sub-counties.