Editor's Review

The Garissa Township NP race turned out to be a two-race pitting the UDA party against UDM.


Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has clashed with Mandera Senator Ali Roba over the just concluded  Garissa Township by-elections. 

Roba who doubles up as the UDM party leader was pained by remarks made by Duale regarding his party.

While congratulating his candidate who he said had won before the final declaration, Duale, without mentioning name, labelled UDM as a party that belongs to Kraal.

Kraal refers to a traditional African village of huts, typically enclosed by a fence.

Mandera Senator Ali Roba. PHOTO | COURTESY

"Tonight, all indications are that Victory is for the UDA candidate Rtd Major Mohamed BARROW Dekow. The people of Garissa Township have again said NO to politics of division, and local parties that belong to the kraals," he said.

The comments did not go well with Roba who hit back at him saying the UDM party proved its stability by giving the UDA party a run for its money.

"Somebody referred to local parties as coming from the kraals but the same party has been the reason very senior guys remained holed up in Garissa to counter the local party from the kraals including resorting desperately to interfering with my personal security in desperation," he fired back.

The Garissa Township NP race turned out to be a two-race pitting the UDA party against UDM.

The Returning officer for the Garissa Township Constituency by-election Abdi Yunis Mohamed declared Barrow Dekow Mohamed of the UDA party duly elected Garissa Township Member of the National Assembly (MNA).

NARC Kenya’s candidate Ibrahim Malow became third with 840 votes.

A total of 21,218 votes were cast in the by-election representing 39.84 percent of the voter turnout.

The by-election was occasioned by the resignation of Aden Duale who resigned to take a cabinet appointment in President William Ruto’s government.

Dekow garnered 11,572 votes to clinch the seat in a hotly contested race that saw him compete closely with the UDM candidate Nassir Dolal.

Dolal took the second position after garnering 8,158 votes