17/11/2025
THE UNSEEN GIANT OF MANDERA: SHIMBIR FATUMA’S BATTLE FOR RECOGNITION
Shimbir Fatuma, one of Mandera County’s oldest and most historically rooted villages, is once again drawing public attention. Not for advancement, but for the deep, longstanding neglect that residents say has defined their lives under devolution.
Despite its unmatched heritage and large population, the village remains trapped in what locals describe as “colonial-era conditions.” While neighbouring villages have expanded, modernized, and even earned elevation to higher administrative ranks, Shimbir Fatuma has watched from the sidelines, untouched by meaningful development.
Almost 15 years into county governance, key services remain painfully inadequate. Roads leading into the area are dilapidated and often impassable. The health centre struggles with staffing shortages and insufficient equipment. Access to clean, reliable water is inconsistent, and local schools operate with minimal resources and chronic understaffing ,A reality residents say has become the norm.
Community members attribute this stagnation to a familiar political pattern: leaders arriving during campaign seasons with ambitious promises, only to disappear once the votes are secured. “We are only remembered during elections,” one elder remarked. “When the campaigns end, so does any hope of development.”
In response, residents are now intensifying their call for the village to be elevated to Sub-County status. They argue that, given Shimbir Fatuma’s long history, dense population, and strategic geographical significance, the village deserves the same administrative recognition granted to others with far fewer qualifications.
For them, the elevation is not just a matter of status — it represents access to resources, structured planning, improved service delivery, and long-lost dignity.
“It is unacceptable that in 2025 we are still struggling for the most basic services,” said a youth leader. “Shimbir Fatuma deserves equal opportunities, equal development, and equal leadership attention.”
As pressure mounts, residents now look to the Mandera County Government to break the cycle of neglect and deliver the long-overdue development the village has been denied for far too long.
Shimbir Fatuma, the unseen giant of Mandera, is no longer silent ,And its call for recognition is growing louder by the day.
📸 Ibrahim Fact Mount