Wednesday August 16, 2017
Supporters of Mandera Governor Ali Roba during a Jubilee rally at Nyayo Stadium on July 2 / JACK OWUOR
The August 2016 declaration by the Garre clan on a power-sharing formula dubbed negotiated democracy has worked in Mandera county.
The Garre Council of Elders a year ago in Banisa developed a power-sharing formula, whereby all the 21 sub-clans rotate governor and Senate seats and share out national and county assembly seats to the other smaller clans - Murale and Degodia.
The newly formed Economic Freedom Party delivered 17 of the 30 county assembly seats.
Four MPs and the woman representative were elected on the EFP ticket, with two constituency seats being taken by JP candidates.
Governor Ali Roba, who was reelected on the Jubilee ticket, put up a spirited campaign against EFP candidate Hassan Noor by incorporating all the other clans - Murale, Degodia, Marehan, Corner tribe - and nonlocals.
Roba will need to reach out to EFP MCAs when drafting policies and budgets.
Senator Billow Kerrow, who gave up his bid to defend his seat in support of negotiated democracy, last Thursday rejected the governor results.
He termed them manipulated in favour of JP candidates, sentiments echoed by Noor. Roba, a beneficiary of the 2013 power-sharing deal, though seen as neutral when it comes to uniting all communities, has the huge task of reconciling his own Garre subclan and dealing with runaway insecurity that has slowed development.
In 2013, all the six seats - MPs, senator, woman representative, governor and MCAs - were from Jubilee.
For the 2017 polls, elders resolved that Roba, Kerrow, all the five former MPs and 18 former MCAs should not seek reelection to pave way for rotational leadership among the 20 Garre subclans.
Roba turned a deaf ear and said the power to elect leaders rests with the people.