ODM candidate Atwaa Salim wins Shella Ward by-election
Atwaa Salim Mohamed of ODM receives certificate from Lamu West IEBC Returning Officer Isaiah Saha Madzungu after winning the Shella Ward County Assembly seat.He garnered 1,053 votes
Former Lamu County Executive for Fisheries, Atwaa Salim Mohamed of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has won the Shella Ward by-election in Lamu County.
Mr Mohamed, who between 2015 and 2017 served as the CEC for Finance under Governor Issa Timamy garnered 1,053 votes to beat his closest rival Mohamed Hassan Ali of the Amani National Congress (ANC) Party who got 573 votes.
ODM candidate in Lamu's Shella Ward by-election Atwaa Salim Mohamed, his wife Husna Abdulrahman (right), and former Finance CEC and Lamu County Assembly Service Bard Member,Fahima Araphat at the Lamu Fisheries Tallying centre on January 5, 2023.
The only woman candidate in the race, Saamiya Mohamed Abduljabar of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party came a distant third with 45 votes while Nizar Mohamed Shee of the United Green Movement (UGM) Party emerged fourth and last, getting only 10 votes.
The Shella Ward County Assembly seat fell vacant after the elected MCA on the ODM ticket, Azhar Ali Mbarak resigned to contest and won the Lamu County Assembly Speaker position last September.
While declaring the results at the Fisheries Tallying centre, Lamu West Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer, Isaiah Saha Madzungu congratulated Mr Mohamed for his victory.
The Shella Ward by-election recorded a 47.03 per cent voter turnout, a situation that Mr Madzungu attributed to the fact that the exercise was held on a weekday.
“I thank those who sacrificed their time to come and vote. I also congratulate Mr Atwaa Salim Mohamed for emerging as the winner of this by-election. For those candidates that lost, I won’t forget the high level of discipline and maturity you portrayed throughout the exercise. You will remain our friends,” said Mr Madzungu.
Speaking to Nation.Africa shortly after receiving the election certificate, Mr Mohamed thanked Allah (God) for enabling him to contest and successfully win the seat.
A clerk identifies a voter at Shella Ward Primary polling centre in Lamu County before voting in the Shella Ward by-election on January 5, 2023.
He also thanked the Shella Ward voters, elders, and the community at large for believing in and voting for him.
Mr Mohamed who also served as the County Chief Officer for Public Service Management (PSM), Trade, Tourism, and Industrialization during former governor Fahim Yassin Twaha between 2017 and 2022, pledged to serve the Shella and Lamu electorates diligently.
“I am now a servant of the people of Shella Ward and Lamu County as a whole. My manifesto during the campaigns was anchored on several pillars, that’s, education, security, people’s coexistence and harmony, health, women and youth empowerment, water and landlessness. As MCA, I will strive to ensure Shella residents and the people of Lamu get land and title deeds,” said Mr Salim.
He added, “I will work hard to unify the Shella community. We’ve various tribes residing in this place. Shella is cosmopolitan and the only way to forge ahead development-wise is to have a unified community for the betterment of our future generations.”
Azhar Ali Mbarak, the former MCA in Shella Ward and Lamu County Assembly Speaker also lauded the Shella voters for maintaining peace and ensuring ODM Party retains the seat.
“Mr Mohamed’s win is a gift to Baba (Raila Amollo Odinga). I had promised him that we will deliver and indeed, we have delivered for our ODM Party.
Shella Ward will forever remain an ODM stronghold. I have served in this ward for over 20 years and I was more than confident that our ODM candidate, Atwaa Salim Mohamed would win the by-election,” said Mr Azhar.
Police intervene as voters demand the removal of former Shella MCA Azhar Ali Mbarak from Shella Primary School polling centre during the Shella Ward by-election in Lamu County on January 5, 2023.
Born in Shella 42 years ago, Mr Mohamed attended Shella Primary School before proceeding to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayeed Secondary in Mombasa.
He emerged among the top 100 students in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Examination (KCSE) in the Coast Province during his years.
He has a Master’s Degree in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi.
He also studied at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
The father of five is married to Ms Husna Abdulrahman.
