Garissa elders defend embattled Dadaab MP Farah Maalim

Garissa elders and residents have come to the defence of Dadaab MP Farah Maalim, who is facing criticism over recent provocative remarks.

The legislator faced a public backlash after tearing into Gen Z protesters who took to the streets to reject the contentious Finance Bill proposed by the Kenya Kwanza government.

In a widely shared video, Maalim allegedly threatened Gen Z protesters with serious consequences, including execution, saying  their actions amounted to a coup attempt.

Since then, some incensed locals have taken issue with the seasoned politician, terming his remarks as divisive.

However, some elders, led by Dubat Amey, have sprung to Maalim's defence, saying it is unfair for Kenyans and the Wiper Party to bash the MP even before proper investigations are done.

“From where we sit as elders, the actions by Kenyans regarding honourable Farah Maalim’s issue are uncalled for. It amounts to mob justice. Why can't we give the police time to tell us the authenticity of the alleged video?” Amey said.

Amey questioned Wiper's decision to expel Maalim and urged it to change its mind.

He said Maalim has consistently stood with the party during trying times and it should have taken the lead in supporting him in his hour of need.

Ibrahim Ali Hassan, for his part, defended Maalim, saying as an experienced politician and elder, he would be the last person to say such things.

“Let us not forget that Farah Maalim is not only a leader but also a father and grandpa. So how can he talk about killing 5,000 Generation Z protesters?” he asked.

Ali Abdullahi Gure said the people still trust Maalim's leadership and blamed his political opponents for attempting to damage his reputation.

“We are all aware of how people edit videos in this day and age of advanced technology to suit their own goals. One such instance was this one. We want to condemn individuals behind the viral video because it is now clear they had a sinister motive," he stated.

Maalim distanced himself from the video, claiming his opponents altered it to misrepresent his comments.

He argued during his Tuesday morning appearance on KTN News that the video's premise did not accurately capture the content of his address at the event.

“It all comes down to editing, copying, and pasting text. It's a lot of nonsense. Since I also weighed in on Somalia's politics, Somalis would do that for other reasons," he said.

Wiper's National Executive Council removed Maalim from all parliamentary committees and proposed his expulsion from the party.

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission summoned the MP to clarify his remarks.

"The utterances are likely to incite feelings of contempt, hatred, hostility, violence, or discrimination, and affect harmonious coexistence between groups of different political affiliations in Kenya, contrary to Section 13 (1) (a) of the NCI Act," the NCIC stated.