Defence CS Aden Duale backs in-law to succeed him as Garissa Township MP
Defence CS Adan Duale (third left) on November 27, 2022. He endorsed Mr Mohamed Dekow to succeed him as the Garissa Township MP.
The Garissa Township by-election, set for January 5, has been reduced to a two-horse race after Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale named the candidate he supports.
Mr Duale, who has been holding several meetings with clan elders from his Abduwak clan since he was appointed CS, announced his support for Mr Mohamed Barrow Dekow.
That endorsement hands Mr Dekow a direct United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, meaning there will be no party primaries ahead of the by-election.
Political pundits in Garissa view Mr Duale’s support as a boost for Mr Dekow.
In a clan meeting held in a Garissa hotel at the weekend, CS Duale rallied community elders, politicians and professionals from the Abduwak clan to support one of their own.
Interestingly, Mr Duale is a brother-in-law of Mr Dekow.
Complicates matters
The clan’s endorsement of Mr Dekow complicates matters for other candidates from the same clan, including former Fafi MP Abdikarim Osman, Ms Mulki Warsane, who lost in the woman rep race, and Mr Mohamed Gabow.
“The endorsement means nothing to me and that is the dynasty theory that we have been dealing with politically. It will end by the people of Garissa electing me as their area member of Parliament,” Mr Osman said, maintaining that Mr Duale’s support for Mr Dekow did not bother him.
The by-election will see the three sub-clans of the larger Ogaden tribe in Garissa battle it out to pick someone to succeed Mr Duale.
Defence CS Adan Duale (third left) on November 27, 2022. He endorsed Mr Mohamed Dekow (in cap) to succeed him as the Garissa Township MP.
The Ogaden tribe is made up of the Abduwak, Awliyahan and Samawadhal sub-clans.
The Samawadhal will provide swing votes because they are not fronting anyone in the race.
Clan-based politics always takes centre stage in this part of Kenya where negotiated democracy is applied in nominating politicians for elective positions.
As Mr Dekow was endorsed by the Abduwak clan, Mr Nasir Dolal Mohamed (alias Jofle) continued to enjoy the support of his Awliyahan clan after he was endorsed earlier in the week.
Mr Jofle, a seasoned politician who has sought the Garissa Township seat through the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) since 2013, finished second behind Mr Duale in the races.
He received 5,972 votes behind Mr Duale’s 9,905 in the August 9 elections.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) says Garissa Township constituency has 54,000 registered voters.
Ditched ODM
In the January 5 by-election, Mr Jofle will run under the United Democratic Movement (UDM) party, having ditched ODM.
It remains to be seen whether Governor Nathif Jama (ODM) and the Awliyahan clan will support Mr Jofle after he quit the Orange party.
UDM is led by Mandera Senator Ali Roba, and with Mr Duale supporting one of the candidates, the battle will be about who, between the two, is the political bigwig in the entire North Eastern region.
“The UDM versus UDA duel will prove who between Senator Roba and CS Duale can be our political kingpin in North Eastern as far as the by-election is concerned,” said Garissa town resident Adan Hussein.
Mr Dekow contested the Garissa governor’s seat under UDA, coming in a distant third with 13,602 votes against Ali Korane (Jubilee) with 26,148 and Mr Jama, who won the race with 69,342.
It remains to be seen how clan alliances will be formed ahead of the race.
Mr Duale resigned as the area’s MP after he was approved as Defence Cabinet Secretary in President William Ruto’s government.
Political parties
Mr Duale first vied for the seat in 2007, then called Dujis constituency. He successfully defended it in the subsequent elections of 2013, 2017 and 2022 under different political parties.
At the ceremony to endorse Mr Dekow, Mr Duale said it was time he handed over the leadership mantle to his successor, whom he described as a safe pair of hands.
“I, first and foremost, want to use this opportunity to sincerely thank the great people of Garissa Township from the bottom of my heart for the overwhelming support you offered me,” he said.
“You overwhelmingly voted for me four consecutive times on different parties. I am truly humbled.”
He added: “Now, as I exit the stage and move to serve Kenyans in a different capacity, I want to humbly request that you accord Mr Dekow the same support in the by-election. He is one very capable leader that I have no doubt will deliver”.
Mr Duale, a close political ally of President Ruto, urged other aspirants for the seat from the community to shelve their ambition and back Mr Dekow.
“I want to appeal to our brothers who are competing to shelve their ambitions for now. We are not saying that they don’t have the ability to lead, they have the capacity and confidence, but all we are asking is for us all to support Mr Dekow for now,” he said.
Mr Abdullahi Gabane, who contested the Garissa Township seat on August 9 and bagged 5,552 votes, also ditched the Azimio coalition and threw his weight behind Mr Dekow.
Sultan Hamud Sheikh, chairman of the Awliyahan elders council, said they settled on Mr Jofle because he is politically mature and can unite communities.
The council dropped Mr Feisal Amin and Mr Mohamed Abdikadir Hussein in favour of Mr Jofle.
