Sunday August 14, 2022
NAIROBI (HOL) - Parliamentary and gubernatorial elections in Somali-dominated regions in Kenya came with a mixed bag of new and old politicians clinching various seats in the just concluded August 9 elections.
Most of those elected were from the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta. The region was also coloured blue, the colour of the Azimio Coalition, which garnered majority votes.
Among the notable figures elected include former deputy speaker Farah Maalim who made a comeback after ten years in the cold.
He vied on the WIPER party ticket (under Azimio), garnering 12,864 votes against his ODM (also under Azimio) rival Abdikheir Dubow who got 9,740 votes to win the Dadaab Constituency seat. Maalim represented the larger Lagdera constituency from 2007 to 2013.
Former majority leader in the National Assembly Adan Barre Duale, a close ally of outgoing deputy President Wiliam Ruto, retained his Garissa Township parliamentary. Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Adow rode into victory on an ODM ticket to become the new Wajir South MP.
Others are Ali Ibrahim Roba, the immediate former Mandera County Governor. He was elected the new Mandera County Senator, while former Wajir Ahmed Abdullahi also bounced back into politics on an ODM ticket after garnering 35,533 votes.
He was closely followed by Jubilee's Hassan Mohammed Adan, who got 27,224 votes and former Deputy Governor Ahmed Ali Mukhtar, who garnered 21,859 votes.
Below is the list of other MPs, Senators and Women Representatives who were elected in northern Kenya regions:
Abdikadir Yusuf Haji- Garrrisa Senator (retained his seat on the Jubilee ticket
Adan Daud –Wajir East Member of Parliament on Jubilee ticket (First time)
Salah Yakub- Newcomer MP for Fafi constituency on UDA ticket
Abdi Ali Abdi- First time Ijara MP. He defeated Sophia Abdi Noor, the only female MP from northern Kenya
Abdi Shurie- Balambala (retained seat)
Hussein Barre Abdi – Tarbaj Member of Parliament on UDA ticket
Mohamed Abdikheyr- Lafey constituency.
Hussein Weytaan - Mandera East (First time)
Major Abdullahi - Mandera North Member of Parliament
Abdiwahab Hoor Kore - Mandera South Member of Parliament
Kulow Moalim Hassan- Banisa Constituency Member of Parliament
Umulkheyr Kasim- Mandera Women Representative (First time)
Faduma Jehow- Wajir Women Representative (First time)
Udgoon Siyad- Garissa Women Representative (First time)
Nathif Jama (ODM)- former Garissa County governor, recaptured his seat after beating incumbent Ali Korane.
Meanwhile, firebrand Somali politician in Migori County in western Kenya Junet Mohamed was re-elected MP on an ODM ticket in Suna East. Mohamed is a close ally of former Prime Minister and AZIMIO Presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Three-time MP Yusuf Hassan retained his seat on the Jubilee party ticket in the populous Eastleigh area of Nairobi, which falls under the Kamukunji Constituency