UDA's Dekow Mohamed wins Garissa Township MP race
Mr Barrow Dekow Mohamed, UDA candidate in Garissa Township by-election.
Dekow Barrow Mohamed, a brother-in-law of Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, has won the Garissa Township parliamentary by-election on a UDA ticket.
He garnered 11,572 votes, beating his closest competitor Mr Nassir Dolal Mohamed alias Jofle (UDM) who got 8,158 votes. Other candidates were Abdikhaim Osman Mohamed of DP, Ibrahim Nur Malow Shurie (Narc_Kenya), Abdifaisal Amin (ODM) and Muhiadin Ahmed Abdirashid (DAP_Kenya).
"I am delighted and grateful to all. I shall serve the electorate fairly in this constituency," he said after IEBC declared him the winner early Friday morning.
Mr Barrow Dekow Mohamed of UDA (right) is presented with an IEBC certificate after winning the Garissa Township by-election on January 6, 2023.
While conceding a defeat, UDM candidate Nassir said he lost due lack of local support.
"My competitor had all the support from every corner. I have accepted his win and I will support him," he said.
The Garissa Township by-election was mainly a two horse race pitting UDA's Dekow and UDM's Nassir. It was also a political supremacy battle between CS Duale, the former area MP, and Mandera Senator Ali Roba who owns the UDM party.
Regional pundits considered Dekow's win as likely after CS Duale rallied community elders, politicians and professionals from the Abduwak clan to support one of their own ahead of the poll.
Dekow had contested the Garissa governor seat on UDA ticket in the August 9 election but came a distant third behind Ali Korane of Jubilee Party and Nathif Jama (ODM) who won the race with 69,342 votes.
Clan-based politics always takes centre stage in this part of Kenya where negotiated democracy is applied in nominating politicians for elective positions.
Known as Dujis, the constituency was renamed Garissa Township in 2013 following promulgation of the new Constitution and a review of the constituency boundaries.
CS Duale was first elected to parliament in 2007 and successfully defended same seat in the 2013, 2017 and 2022 elections.
Mr Duale's loyalty to President William Ruto paid off after he was nominated Defence Secretary, making him the only nominee to cabinet from North Eastern Region.
Mr Nassir has contested thrice against Mr Duale and finished second in all attempts. He managed 5,972 votes against Duale’s 9,905 in the August 9 election.
