Elders want ex-EACC boss Halakhe Waqo to be Isiolo governor
Karayu clan elders from Borana community during a meeting in Mulata on September 4, 2021 where they endorsed former EACC boss Halakhe Dida Waqo for Isiolo governorship.
Elders from the Karayu clan of the Borana community in Isiolo have endorsed former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission boss Halakhe Dida Waqo for governorship as they seek to inject fresh blood into the top seat.
About 100 elders from across the county said following intense negotiations, they had agreed to support Mr Waqo to battle it out with Governor Mohamed Kuti in the 2022 General Elections.
Karayu clan vice-chairman Hussein Ali Abduba said they will reach out to other Borana clans to galvanize support for their candidate before presenting him to the Borana Council of Elders chaired by Abdullahi Gonjobe, who gave the event wide berth despite hailing from the Karayu clan.
“We will also seek support from other communities to ensure our candidate sails through and becomes the next governor of Isiolo,” said Mr Abduba, who is also a member of Borana Governing Council.
Other gubernatorial hopefuls from the Borana community are former governor Godana Doyo and Mohammed Huka, who works with a tour firm.
Devolution Chief Administrative Secretary Abdul Bahari, who had earlier expressed interest to try his luck for a second time, has withdrawn from the contest, and is likely to vie for the Isiolo South parliamentary seat according to sources.
Dismissed past meeting
The Karayu elders also dismissed a past meeting by some other elders in Kinna where plans were mooted to support Mr Doyo and “allow him complete his two terms”, saying the attendees were not representatives from the entire county and, therefore, the resolutions they made were unacceptable.
“We do not recognise the Kinna resolutions as they did not have the blessings from all the elders. Majority of those who attended were youth,” Mr Abduba noted.
Elders Hassan Shano and Mohammud Sheikh said Mr Waqo exhibited outstanding skills while working with the anti-graft agency and, therefore, would offer better leadership than Mr Doyo and Governor Kuti.
“We need to inject fresh blood to salvage our people from the exploitation that we are currently facing,” said Mr Shano.
The clan, the elders said, will support other communities for other positions, insisting they are only interested in the governor’s post.
Elders’ wrangles
But wrangles in the revered Borana Council of Elders could further divide the community, giving Dr Kuti an advantage in his re-election bid.
As things stand, there are some elders in the council who feel Mr Doyo is the right person to send the incumbent governor home, while another faction wants a fresh candidate picked, favouring Mr Waqo.
During a meeting in Mulata on December 23 last year, Mr Doyo and Mr Waqo — from Warjida and Karayu clans respectively — agreed to abide by the Borana Council of Elders’ verdict on the community’s gubernatorial flagbearer.
The differences in the council have cascaded to the clans, with Mr Gonjobe’s absence at the Saturday meeting in Mulata presenting a likelihood that he, as a member of Karayu clan, either had a different opinion on Mr Waqo’s candidature or was supporting another candidate.
“He (Gonjobe) can individually decide to vote or not vote for any candidate but has no say for the Borana community as that will be determined by the clan’s decisions,” Mr Abduba maintained.
Oust council chairman
The Nation is reliably informed that a group of disgruntled elders from some of the Borana clans were planning to oust Mr Gonjobe from the chairmanship position during a meeting slated for September 17, 2021.
Contacted, Mr Gonjobe dismissed the Saturday endorsement, saying the meeting was not done in line with the laid down rules of the Borana community.
“That is not the true position. It is a lie. I am also from Karayu clan,” Mr Gonjobe told the Nation, saying a statement over the matter would be issued later.
Governor Kuti is banking on the Borana community’s continued differences on their preferred candidate and the likelihood that both Mr Doyo and Mr Waqo end up in the race to oust him.
But even in the event that divisions rock the Borana community until election time, Governor Kuti will still have a hard time if 57-year-old businessman Paul Murunga, from the Ameru community, manages to consolidate his community’s votes and those from Turkana community and other minority communities.
