By Wajir Chroncles
News emanating from Nairobi reveals that powerful Degodia clan elders are on the verge of endorsing incumbent Wajir County Governor Ahmed Abdullahi to retain the county’s most coveted seat in the forthcoming August 8th elections.
Reliable sources intimated to Wajir Chronicles that former Kenya’s envoy to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Mohammed Abdi Mohamud is likely to be reined in by the influential elders to step down in favour of the incumbent, whom sources say, is highly revered due to his visible development track record.
This turn around by the powerful Degodia elders, whom many believed to have been favouring the former envoy, has surprised many alike. For them to openly come out and back the incumbent governor Abdullahi was the least expected by local political pundits, and they term these move the game changer in these high adrenalin political melodrama of Wajir County.
The influential elders, led by Sheikh Burhan, Hajji Noor (Agaweyn)and Hajji Yunis, reportedly called for an emergency meeting involving the Degodia community political elites from both camps.
The incumbent Governor’s group, famously known as Team Jiir, and Ambassador’s Team famously known as Team Shuluq, attended the urgent crisis meeting.
The sources revealed to Wajir Chronicles that the elders main concern was the split and division of the Degodia community by a section of politicians for purposes of self-gain and self-satisfaction.
The business men are said to have put it plainly that the discord the said politicians have sowed within the Degodia community if not remedied will not only affect 2017 but will make it impossible for the community to ever come together again politically.
They eventually proposed that the only hope for the community’s unity is by backing the incumbent for another five years. They are also reported to have suggested the Ambassador should be appointed a national Cabinet Secretary in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government after the August 8th polls.
They also toyed with the idea that Hon. Mohammed Elmi, currently representing Tarbaj constituency in the National Assembly,should be the county’s nominated senator, bearing in mind that he has openly come out and declared he won’t be defending his seat.
This revelation by the said elders is believed to have come as an unpleasant surprise to top honchos of Team Ambassador. Tarbaj MP Hon. Elmi and his colleague representing Eldas constituency Hon. Adan Keynan Wehliye, are said to have sharly differed with the elders having presumed all along the elderly business men were firmly on their side.
In the first meeting, the elders are said to have been ruthlessly straightforward with their questions to the politicians, whom they accused of lengthening the divisions and misunderstandings within the once powerfully united Degodia community.
“You have all been moving around saying your endorsed by the Degodia community. Who gave you the mandate to give political directions on behalf of Degodias? Are you the only Degodias?” the businessmen are said to have lashed out in the meeting.
They were chastised that they have taken their personal hatred for the governor too far. They were reminded that the interests of Degodia’s and all Wajir citizens at large, supersedes their personal ambitions.
It has always been widely reported in the media and social network platforms that a prominent politician from the county is eyeing a national Cabinet Secretary slot in case President Uhuru is re-elected.
The biggest shocker came from Hajji Noor (Agaweyn), whom many had expected to unconditionally support the former envoy, bearing in mind he is a maternal uncle to the ambassador.
The meeting is said to have been postponed to today (26/03/2017), whereby a declaration, on behalf of the Degodia community, will be made and the community’s candidate of choice announced.
Inside sources widely believe that the Ambassador’s team is slated to boycott today’s meeting having now known that the much respected elders might endorse the incumbent H.E Ahmed Abdullahi to retain his seat.
The meeting which took place at Lillian towers in Nairobi, was called by Sheikh Burhan in conjunction with the elders and was attended by all Degodia MPs from Wajir County who included Hon. Elmi of Tarbaj, Hon. Abbas KK of Wajir East, Hon. Keynan of Eldas, Hon. Abdikadir Ore of Wajir West, and Wajir County Women Rep Hon. Fatuma Ibrahim.
Degodia community is the largest in Wajir County which is also composed of the Ogaden, Ajuran and other smaller groups commonly referred to as the corner tribes.
The forthcoming August polls prove to be the hardest nut to crack for this powerful clan bearing in mind that Ogaden Alliance is likely to front a single candidate.
Members of the clan believe only one, and not two candidates from the community should be allowed to contest against the rest from other clans for an automatic win come August the 8th.
Wajir Chronicles will closely follow the on-going deliberations from the Nairobi meeting and promises to update its readers on the behind the curtain going ons. We will furnish you with latest information as soon as we get them.
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