By Abdinoor Ali and Suleiman Sabdow

NAIROBI –Wajir County is now turning to be a battleground for political titans who are seeking various mandates from the electorates in the county, of particular interest is the governorship seat, which has and continues to attract a number of aspirants who want to take over the position from the current governor Ahmed Ali Muktar.

On Sunday last week, former Wajir governor Ahmed Abdullah jetted into the once high-flying county bringing the town to a standstill in a popularization mission.

The former county governor made several stopovers in the town before addressing the public in the famous Qorahey ground where he assured residents of restoration of hopes after the activities in the once fully-fledged county was disrupted in the last two years owing to the political standoff between the top political brass in the county who have been flexing their muscles over the control of the county resources and power.

Abdullahi who is seeking to reclaim back his seat was on Monday endorsed to vie for the top seat in the county by his Mataan clan after meeting with them in a series of charm offensives aimed at selling his political agenda to the people.

         First and Former Governor Ahmed Abdullahi when he was endorsed by his Mataan clan in Wajir. Photo/Courtesy

On 12 June,Rerow Farah, a sub-section of Fai clan endorsed Hassan Wehliye to contest for the gubernatorial seat ahead of the 2022  general election slated for August.

In a joint declaration read by Sultan Najib Ugas, Ugas Sheikh Abdi and Ugas Sheikh Abdullahi, the elders said the endorsement was done ‘in the best interest of the larger Maalim Rerow Gedi community and the entire people of Wajir County

This is despite the Fai council of Ugas beginning a series of activities to identify suitable political leaders from among their sub-clans to run in the 2022 elections.

This happened even as other Degodia sub-clans said they have already chosen its sultan, who will be responsible for the selection of suitable political contenders from within the clan to represent it at the ballot.

Each of the sub-clans has its own sultan, who is selected by consensus by clan elders. A statement, released by the council and seen by Frontier Online asked candidates seeking to vie for the position of the Member of the County Assembly to apply and pay a non-refundable fee of Sh50, 000. Gubernatorial and Senatorial contenders to submit their s and pay a non-refundable fee of Sh1 million.

Nevertheless, various gubernatorial hopefuls from the Degodia community are jostling and making every attempt to be endorsed by elders in the hope of forming coalitions with their Ogaden and Ajuran counterparts.

The herculean task currently facing the Fai clan will be coming up with the nominee for the governorship seat who will be acceptable across all the sub-clans that form the community and prevent a squabble from the process.

Potential names that have been touted and poised include Ugas Sheikh Mohamed, who shelved his ambition twice to back ousted governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud in 2013 and 2017, governance and anti-corruption oriented expert Hassan Wehliye, who is seeking to make his debut in politics, and Nairobi South Hospital proprietor Dr. Hassan Mohamed.

    Fai family strategic leadership meeting that was organized by Chairman Dr Kassim on 23/09/2021. Photo/Courtesy

The list of gubernatorial aspirants from Wajir West continues to grow by the day and yesterday Mohamed Abdikadir Abdille grounded the normal activities of the sunny town to a halt as thousands of mammoth crowd flooded on the streets of Wajir to welcome Abdille in style giving a deaf ear to the scorching sun as Midhimal community from the same constituency gave the nod to Nairobi based businessman Dr. Siyad Abdullahi who is burning the midnight oil to win the hearts of the electorates from the backyard of former county chief Ahmed Abdullahi to go for the coveted position.

Accompanied by Wajir West MP Hon Ahmed Kholosh, Abdille was endorsed by a section of elders and residents from the Mataan clan defying earlier endorsement by the clan to have former governor Ahmed Abdullahi to vie for the top seat.

Gubernatorial aspirant Mohamed Abdikadir with Wajir West MP Ahmed Kolosh in a past event. Photo/ Courtesy

Wajir has recently been in the headlines for the wrong reasons after the impeachment of the immediate former governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud by the County Assembly Members (MCA) and subsequently upheld by the Senate in May this year on grounds of violation of the constitution of Kenya and procurement acts.

On September 7th drama ensued at the county headquarters after ousted former immediate governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud stormed the county offices and forced his way into the governor’s office.

Addressing journalists from the office, the deposed county boss claimed that he obtained court orders allowing him to continue dispensing his duty as a governor until the pending case in court is heard and determined.

Since his removal from office, the governor has been embroiled in power wrangles with his former deputy governor and now the current governor Ahmed Ali Muktar.

This comes in the backdrop of a swearing-in ceremony for a new deputy governor Hashim Musa Yussuf after he was appointed by the governor and approved by Wajir county Assembly which was slated for a day to the material day.

            New Wajir County Deputy Governor Mr Hashim Musa been sworn in in past event. Photo/FRONTIER ONLINE

In June Mohamud made an appearance in the council of governors meeting convened in Makueni where he said he was representing Wajir in the meeting.

Residents of Wajir have been in the last few weeks expressing their agony over poor service delivery in the county and hard economic times due to the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the top leaders of the county of putting the county in the headwinds of unending political showdown and tussle over who is the legitimate county boss.

In Wajir County, just like Mandera and Garissa counties clans play a pivotal role in the endorsement of candidates running for various seats in the county.

Degodia, Ogaden, and Ajuran communities are the makers of the politics in the Wajir County

In 2013, an alliance of the Degodia, Ajuran, and Ogaden delivered victory by bagging the governorship, deputy, Senator, and women representative seats.

Mataan a sub-clan of Degodia community bagged the coveted governorship seat, while in 2017 the Fai community went with home with the country’s top seat.

There is heightened and sustained debate on the candidate the Fai community will present after Ex-Governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud who won on Jubilee party ticket in 2017 was impeached by the local Assembly in May this year for incompetence, abuse of office, and violation of the constitution and subsequently upheld by the Senate

If the Ugas endorsement holds, the Fai will have to forgo the Wajir East constituency seat held by Rashid Amin to forestall a rift with Masare clan.

Amin has indicated that is he is keen to defend his position and will have to fight out former National Social; Security Fund (NSSF) board chairman Aden Daud.

On the day Ugas was endorsed by elders, Hassan Wehliye, governance and anti-corruption expert, who is seeking to make his debut in politics was also endorsed by splinter groups of elders at a ceremony held only stone’s throw away in Dasheg, Tarbaj Constituency.

Other contenders garnering for the top seat of Wajir include Nairobi South Hospital proprietor Dr. Hassan Mohamed and Environment CAS and former Tarbaj MP Mohamed Elmi who is also said to be eyeing the seat though he is yet to declare.

Frontier Online cannot independently report whether Mohamed Abdi will run for the gubernatorial seat or not since it is subject to confirmation.

It remains to be seen on how and when will the court give a determination on the case filed by Mohamud to declare the assumption of office by the then deputy governor Ahmed Muktar illegal, as elections draw closer and the Mandate of the incumbent regime being in its nigh.