A battle is looming within the Azimio la Umoja movement in the Mandera County gubernatorial race with outgoing governor Ali Roba backing the candidature of Mandera County Assembly Speaker Mohamed Khalif.
The race to succeed Mr Roba – who is serving the final term – has attracted the Speaker, former East African Community Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed, former Education Chief Administrative Secretary Hassan Noor Hassan, businessman Adan Haji Issack and Ali Kiti, a banker.
This comes against a backdrop of a scramble to control the county with two camps emerging coalescing around Governor Roba and National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani.
However, the move by the outgoing governor to back Mr Khalif’s candidature to fight it out with other candidates in Azimio is sure to set the stage for a bruising battle in the Northern Kenya County.
Unveiling the speaker at Bomas of Kenya following a meeting of United Democratic Movement (UDM) where he is the party leader, Mr Roba said the county assembly boss is his preferred successor and will contest the seat under UDM.
This as he declared that the party will support ODM Party leader Raila Odinga, under Azimio la Umoja movement, for the presidency.
“After three months of engagement, we now take the unanimous decision to endorse Mr Mohamed Adan Khalif for the Mandera governor seat. Let speculations take a rest and let it be known that Governor Ali Roba has, in consultations with Tuff and Asare family, do endorse my brother Khalif,” said Mr Roba.
Mr Noor will contest for the seat on Upya Movement, a new party in the region led by Mr Yatani and is allied to Azimio la Umoja movement.
He lost to Mr Roba in the 2017 elections with the latter garnering 71,890 against his tally of 63,003. He ran on the Economic Party Forum while Mr Roba used Jubilee Party.
This was after the outgoing governor broke ranks with the elders defying their stance not to run for the seat in favour of Mr Hassan.
Khalif has a political career spanning more than 20 years. He was first elected councillor for Mandera Township Ward in 1998, a seat he held until 2013. He also served as chairman of the defunct Mandera Town Council.
“I accept the endorsement from the three communities and I am humble and promise not to let anyone down. I am going to serve the great people of Mandera with conviction,” said Mr Khalif.
For his part, Mr Mohamed, a close confidant of President Kenyatta, is yet to announce his party of choice to contest the seat but is expected to be within Azimio.
The former CS two weeks ago stepped down from his position to contest the Mandera governor seat banking on the experience he has gained working in the private sector for big multinationals as well as his nine years in the public service as a cabinet secretary.
