Aden Duale backs brother-in-law for Garissa Township MP race

The Garissa Township by-election set for January 5 has been reduced to a two-horse race after the Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Barre Duale announced his candidate of choice.

Mr Duale, who has been holding several meetings with clan elders drawn from his Abduwak clan since he was picked as a CS, announced his support for Mr Mohamed Barrow Dekow.

The decision by Mr Duale hands Mr Dekow a direct United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, meaning there will be no party primaries ahead of the Garissa Township by-elections.

The endorsement is viewed as a boost for Mr Dekow by political pundits in Garissa.

In a clan meeting held in a Garissa hotel over 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 to Mr Dekow.

The clan endorsement of Mr Dekow complicates matters for other candidates from the same Abduwak clan including former Fafi MP Mr Abdikarim Osman, Ms Mulki Warsane who lost in 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,” said Osman maintaining that Mr Duale’s announcement of candidate of choice does not bother him.

The by-election will see the three sub-clans of the larger Ogaden tribe in Garissa battle out in efforts to succeed Mr Duale.

Ogaden is made up of the Abduwak, Awliyahan and the Samawadhal sub clans.

Samawadhal remains a swing vote since it is not fronting any of its own in the race.

Clan based politics always take a centre stage in this part of the country where a negotiated democracy plan is applied in nominating politicians in different positions.

As Mr Dekow was being endorsed by the Abduwak clan, Mr Nasir Dolal Mohamed alias Jofle continued to enjoy the support of his Awliyahan clan after he had been endorsed early in the week.

Mr Jofle, a seasoned politician who has sought the Garissa Township seat through Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) since 2013 has been finishing second in the race behind Mr Duale.

He managed 5,972 votes behind Mr Duale’s 9,905 votes in the August 9 elections.

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Garissa Township has 54,000 registered voters.

In the January 5 by-election, Mr Jofle will be running on the United Democratic Movement (UDM) party ticket after he ditched ODM.

It remains to be seen if Governor Nathif Jama (ODM) and the Awliyahan clan will support Mr Jofle after ditching the Orange party.

UDM is led by Mandera Senator Ali Roba and with Mr Duale supporting one of the candidates, the battle will all be about who is the political bigwig in the entire North Eastern Region between the two.

“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,” Mr Adan Hussein, a resident of Garissa town.

Mr Dekow contested for Garissa governor’s seat on UDA, coming a distant third with 13, 602 votes against Mr Ali Korane of Jubilee Party with 26,148 as Mr Nathif Jama (ODM) won the race with 69,342 votes.

It remains to be seen how clan alliances will be formed ahead of the race between the two camps.

Mr Duale resigned as the area MP after he was approved as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence in the President William Ruto government.

Mr Duale first vied for the seat in 2007, then Dujis constituency and he has successfully defended it in the subsequent elections of 2013, 2017 and in the August 9 polls but on different political parties.

During the endorsement ceremony, Mr Duale said it was time he handed over the leadership mantle to his successor whom he described as a safe pair of hands that will take over from where he left.

 “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. You overwhelmingly voted for me four consecutive times on different parties. I am truly humbled,” he said.

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 to President Ruto urged other candidates from the community who had shown interest to shelve their ambition and instead 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 in the August elections contested for the Garissa Township and bagged 5,552 votes also ditch Azimio coalition and threw his weight behind Mr Dekow.

Sultan Hamud Sheikh, chairman Awliyahan clan elders’ council said they settled on Mr Jofle since he has political maturity and the ability to unite communities.

The council dropped Mr Feisal Amin and Mr Mohamed Abdikadir Hussein in favour of Mr Jofle.