Garissa governor backs gov’t decision to close refugee camps

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama has changed his tune regarding the repatriation of refugees from the Daadab refugee camp.

Jama has now asked the government to iron out issues that can jeopardize the repatriation exercise.

This comes barely a month after he vehemently opposed the exercise noting that taking the refugees back home would be counterproductive to the region and to the country.

Speaking in Balambala sub-county where he had gone to launch several county projects, Jama said the county was obliged to support the exercise because the national government was determined to repatriate the refugees.

He however urged the government not to be in a hurry lest the whole exercise backfires.

He said that the refugees had intermarried with locals, noting that moving ahead to separate them would amount to disorientating families.

The Kenyan Government has reiterated that it will close down the Dadaab refugee camp by November this year; this is despite pressure from the international community to review its decision.

Amos Sambu