By Abdimalik Hajir

Ijara Member of Parliament Abdi Ali Abdi yesterday called for abolition of colonial three-mile rule that he said are unfair, retrogressive and hurting people from his constituency.

Speaking in Abalatiro in his Ijara Constituency, the Mp accused Tana River senator Danson Mungana and the Governor of taking advantage of the colonial laws by starting new settlements in areas within his constituency.

The move, the lawmaker said, might spark inter-ethnic skirmishes between neighbouring communities who he said have co-existed for a long time.

“Its unfortunate that leaders from Tana River are using colonial three mile rule to start new settlements in areas within Ijara, these can bring problems and need serious stakeholder’s engagement from both counties,” he said

He claimed Tana River Governor had been giving people iron sheets, nails and paying for labour for people to settle in areas within his constituency particularly in Abalatiro without any proper procedure.

Abdi asked the governor and leadership of Tana River to refrain from anything that might create animosity noting that leadership of Garissa County would not accept what he termed as illegal activities.

Ijara member of parliament Abdi Ali Abdi with Gumarey Primary school head teacher Halan Noor Khalif laying stone for commencement of two classrooms.

The lawmaker said the three mile rule was a bad law that was inserted under the district and provinces act saying that it was injustices that need to be removed for good.

Under the district and Provinces act, the rule says that a line running parallel to and 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) from the river on Garissa side belongs to Tana River.

The lawmaker wondered why the border between Tana River and Lamu is the River and also Garissa Municipality and Tana River but only the leadership of Tana River is pushing for a new settlement in the name of three mile rule.

The Ijara Mp claimed that the particular law was aimed at denying the right of people from Garissa from using the river which he said is a natural resource that should be shared amongst communities.

Last week, Masalani MCA Yunis Abdi called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigation to probe Tana River Governor alleging that his agenda to settle people in areas within Ijara might spark conflicts.

He claimed that the Governor is pushing to have development programs in areas that are within Ijara alleging that he has a expansionist agenda