Mandera Governor Ali Roba surprised residents on Mashujaa day by showing up at the arena with an adorable rabbit. The six month old seemingly overfed bunny was said to be one of about three dozen pets, including tortoises and crocodiles which the governor keeps in his lavish Mandera palace. Several people from the crowd sneaked through the security barrier to get a closer look at the white-tailed pet, causing panic among the governor’s entourage. At least two of the more enthusiastic crowd members were detained.
The governor wasn’t immediately available for comment on the eccentric display. However, an anonymous source from Mr. Roba’s inner circle told the Northern Chronicle that the governor’s choice to cuddle a bunny wasn’t surprising at all.
‘He is a very kind hearted man,’ said the source. ‘I haven’t met a man more dedicated to the care of pets. And he is setting an example in this wild place where many of us don’t care about animals.’
Reports on the ground claimed that Mr. Roba who often had one or two senior staff members sit close to him, decided to have his seat moved several feet away from everyone, saying aloud, ‘All I need is me and my lovely bunny.’
‘It’s understandable,’ said the security officer tasked with the privilege of moving around the governor’s throne-like seat. ‘When you have something that cute and fluffy sitting on your lap, you don’t need any callous humans interfering with your comfort.’
The embattled governor, who’d recently been barred from running for re-election by his clan elders, is said to have developed a particular fixation with the furry pets in the last few weeks. He has stroked up to three rabbits at a time on the most stressful of days, the Chronicle has confirmed. The rabbits, numbering at least fourteen, were first brought to Mandera just months after the governor’s election, and have since been fed the best grade of carrots. Food supplies for the rabbits and the other pets are flown into Mandera twice a month, usually on the return journey of the governor’s scheduled hair-cut flights to Nairobi. Speaking on the phone, a member of the governor’s press service told the Chronicle that she has received no briefing whatsoever on the issue but is sure there must have been a good rationale. Perhaps, she said, speculating, His Excellency found it wise to show that on Mashujaa day, bravery and compassion go hand in hand.
‘I know he loves his pets,’ said the anonymous source, chuckling, ‘but I got to be honest; showing up with a rabbit on a day like that is a pretty bold stunt… even by his standards.’
