For many residents of Kilifi County’s rural Mwapula sub-location, the most important government authority they know is a chief.
Besides enforcing law and order, chiefs and their assistants are the face of authority and help in approvals to get government services.
In the past six years, Mwapula residents have not had the benefit of these services; the sub-location has been without an assistant chief, after Mr Edward Kalama Gona was interdicted and charged with defilement, leaving the residents struggling to access government services that need the administrator’s approval.
The residents now depend on village elder Patrick Safari for such errands. However, Mr Safari has limited powers and cannot carry out some administrative duties, leaving the villagers in distress.
Mr Gona was accused of defiling a 14-year-old girl, a Standard Four pupil, on April 9, 2016, and making her pregnant.
Police arrested him in April 2017 following a public outcry over the delay in his arrest and recommendations from the Director of Public Prosecution in Kilifi.
The administrator was charged with abuse of a position of authority and sexual abuse.
Now the locals want a new assistant chief, saying they deserve an administrator, like the rest of Kenyans, however, that cannot happen with the case against Mr Gona pending.
Meanwhile, the villagers continue to suffer.
“We are in darkness and not even aware of the status of the case. Working under a village elder who is not conversant with many government issues means things are not going very well,” said Mr Leonard Nasoro.
Mr Safari said the pending court case against Mr Gona had taken long, denying the residents access to quality and timely services.
“It is hard for me as the village elder in charge since I cannot help my people. I am not authorised to write letters for those seeking to apply for national identification cards. I request them to go to neighbouring Chivara or Marere sub-locations to access such services. But they decline because it is far and they cannot afford money for transport,” he said.
It costs Sh600 from Mwapula to Chivara on a boda boda and back, while those from far-flung Mbonga village pay up to Sh1,000.
Mr Safari is overwhelmed and frustrated, knowing he is helpless and residents are suffering.
“Sexual offence cases, especially for a person holding public office, should not overstay in court,” he said.
Mwapula sub-location consists of Mwangongo, Mwapula, Mbaoni, Jimba, Miani, Chonje, Makalangeni and Mbonga villages.
“I am carrying a burden because I always feel guilty knowing that I cannot serve the public and they cannot get help,” Mr Safari said.
Some women left birth certificate application forms in his office because they had not been signed by an assistant chief, yet they are required for one to get services at the hospital.
Some families have had to bury their dead without a burial permit because they cannot afford to travel to Chivara or Marere, where there are chiefs who can issue such documents.
Mr Safari led a delegation of village elders to present their grievances to the office of the Kauma deputy county commissioner. However, the discussion could not happen due to the pending court case.
Mr Emmanuel Nyambu from Mwapula village said it was challenging for the community to get services from the village elder.
According to Mr Nyambu, after reporting the matter to the village elder, he always asks them to wait for the assistant chiefs to plan a meeting to sort it out.
“At this time when the economy is hard, it is hard for some individuals to raise the money for transport. Some decide to walk if the matter is urgent, while others opt to stay home,” he added, when asked about the option of going to other sub-locations.
Mr Nyambu said the elderly and women are most affected.
“In case of emergencies like birth certificates, women contribute money and send a boda boda to get the forms from the assistant chief in Chivara or Marere,” he said.
However, many residents simply cannot afford the money.
“We have suffered for six years without an assistant chief, and we kept wondering why the matter took so long in court,” he said.
He said efforts to address the challenges through the office of the deputy county commissioner were not fruitful.
“We pleaded with the office of the deputy county commissioner to have mercy on us and find a solution for our matter in vain. They have always asked us to wait until the matter in court is finalised,” he said.
Mr Nyambu said some residents have given up and are no longer seeking services or the help of the assistant chiefs in Chivara and Marere.
“There are many issues that need the attention of the assistant chief, including disputes that need urgent intervention, but nobody is there for us. Sometimes we are forced to call the acting administrators, but they promise to set a day to visit us, but sometimes they fail, and the disputes remain unresolved,” he said.
The case is coming up for a defence hearing on March 9, and the villagers hope that soon, either way, the matter will end and they will get an assistant chief.
Earlier, the Kilifi Court User Committee raised concerns about the backlog of children matters.
Kilifi is a vast county with many cases involving children, including parental negligence, gender-based violence, truancy, those not going to school and roaming in the villages, and custody that needed urgent interventions.
According to the department, ordinary children matters are to be completed within three months unless it is cases of chronic truancy, defilement and child offenders, which should be within six months.
