Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) gubernatorial candidate Hassan Noor Hassan has received a major boost in his bid to succeed Governor Ali Roba after two aspirants who lost in the Jubilee Party nomination contest joined his camp.
Mr Hassan, a veteran provincial administrator who recently resigned as a chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Education now enjoys the support of Senator Mohamed Maalim Mohamud and Mr Faisal Abdirahman Abass, a businessman.
Both Senator Mohamud and Mr Abass lost the Jubilee Party ticket to Mr Adan Mohamed, the former Cabinet Secretary for East Africa Cooperation and Regional Development. Mr Mohamud said Mandera County was safe in Mr Hassan’s hands.
“I’ve evaluated all the candidates in this race and I want to tell you here that Mr Hassan’s are the safest pair of hands,” the senator said.
Mr Mohamud, who, together with Governor Roba, won the 2017 elections on a Jubilee ticket warned residents against voting for the governor’s chosen candidate in the August 9 polls.
“UDM is just recycling leaders and people should know their agenda is to keep marginalising us locally,” Mr Mohamud said.
“The Jubilee team acquired the party’s ticket through the back door and should be rejected,” Mr Mohamud said of Mr Mohamed’s candidature. Mr Abass, while declaring his support for Mr Hassan, accused Mr Roba’s administration of corruption.
“We’ve been getting more than enough resources but the funds are stolen by a few individuals and taken back to Nairobi to buy homes and do other business,” he said.
Mr Abass questioned why the Tuuf sub-clan of the larger Garre fronted Mr Mohamed to vie when it was clear in their agreement that the baton was to be passed to the Quranyow, a sub-clan. The Tuuf, he said, had tasted power through Governor Roba and Mr Adan’s entry into the race was a betrayal of the Quranyow by their Tuuf kinsmen.
The Garre clan is divided into the Tuuf and Quranyow sub-clans, which are further divided into the Asare and Furkesha (Quranyow) and Ali and Adola (Tuuf).
Mr Hassan thanked Senator Mohamud and Mr Abass for their support and expressed confidence “that we shall win because we now have a formidable team.”
He pledged to form an inclusive and development focused government and to establish a Sh500 million fund to provide women and the youth with affordable business loans.
Furthermore, a social welfare programme for persons living with disabilities will see them get Sh200 million. Mr Hassan has chosen Mr Mohamed Hussein Ali alias Mohamed Qaras as his running mate.
