NEP POST ANALYSIS - BRIEF
The 2022 Elections are over and Alhamdulillah everything got settled.
Looking back, from the 3 main Somali counties, Mandera, Wajir & Garissa, things were not perfect but still we did our part. TO VOTE. Out of our current registered voters of around 626,000 Voters, only around 55-60% voted. The Votes were low countrywide but we had other challenges. The elections coincided with a drought season and thus made, many of our people not to vote as they ran with their livestock in search of pastures and water in Somalia and Ethiopia.
Our Votes went largely for Azimio Led by Hon. Raila Odinga as Current President William Ruto got some scrapes. The Pattern, it is said, were pushed by NEP Politicians owing to the circumstances that were at play. Some of the County Governors were facing Graft Charges and some had to seek other elective posts to remain relevant. Azimio was in control of the then Government of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila was their candidate. Almost Everyone thought Raila will get the Presidency and put their predictions there. Kenya Kwanza led by President Ruto was not so popular in NEP owing to the issue of clan distribution of seats mainly to Azimio candidates and thus few were of Kenya Kwanza candidacy. They got some votes but were not that much. One of the top men at KK is Hon. Duale who tried his best even under the regime onslaught of NEP Counties political structures. Significant for Azimio votes was that, in Garissa, Mandera counties, there were no KK Governor Candidates as the ones competing were from Azimio Coalition parties. Part achievement in this 2022 NEP Elections was the fact that the little known UDM (United Democratic Movement) party Led by former Mandera Governor Hon. Ali Roba, now Mandera Senator, that made a very big stride and secured 7MPs slots, 2 Nominated MPs plus 2 Governors alone in this elections, in Mandera and Marsabit Counties, a big significance in terms of his timing and relevance even before and after elections. To me, that was a skilful calculations in Politics and is now the talk of the town. He and his troops are now allied to the Kenya Kwanza Coalition - a backstabbing to Azimio. (As is assumed they had signed a pre-election pact with them).
The estimated Somali voters in Kenya is around 1,500,000 but majority have either no ID cards nor (even if they have)register during Voter Registration. Majority of the Kenya Somalis live in around the 3 Main Counties but are also scattered In other counties and towns including Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Taita Taveta, Masaai Counties, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Turkana, Meru, Kisumu, Rift Valley as well as Western Counties. Our Population is big but we are not counted in Unison. This is letting us down in many matters.
Elections are very important calendars all over the world, more so in Kenya 🇰🇪 where access to Power is measured by how a community performs in the Elections. When we don't vote properly, our numbers don't come out clearly, then we lose on making a Political statement. Our numbers must show in Kenya both in KNBS (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics) Census as well as in elections so as to be recognized as a serious community. Our 'numbers' Problems mainly arise during Census when our numbers are mainly squeezed so that, they don't appear as though Somalis are a majority tribe in Kenya. During the 2019 Census, I realized majority of the Census officials didn't do the enumeration properly ( I was there and not counted) as many are, or they don't reach the interiors like Baadiya (Nomadic settlements) to count the people. The census was also done during drought and many of our people were not there. All these issues add up to our numbers and ultimately affect the resources (County Revenue Allocations) and the way we are viewed nationally. Other Kenyans are saying we need no more money but that is not the case. Infact we need more. Their problems are, Our Counties receive lot of money $339 Million Dollars, equivalent to 2018-2019 Somalia's entire budget and nothing to show of .....only Kelele....Problems arising from our innerselves.
Basically, as per my analysis and having shared these thoughts with various leaders including Hon. Duale and many others, owing to our collective situation, The Country's future, I think we can make a big stride in Kenya and have our way in the coming near future. we can even, if we work on unity, get a superior seat in the Kenya, Probably a Deputy President Inshallah.
Because of Asimio's support and our disunity and lack of coordination, we managed to get One Nominated CS, Hon. Aden Bare Duale as Minister for Defence from President Ruto's Government. Mashallah. Atleast something but that by hardwork on the part of Hon. Duale. We need to put up our socks.
As we gear up ahead, let us understand that Unity is paramount and our leaders including but not limited to Hon. Duale, Hon. Keynan, Hon. Ali Roba, Hon. Billow Kerrow, Senior Counsel Ahmed Nassir along with all other Honourable Politicians, Lawyers, Analysts, Journalists, we need to change tacts, not like in previous years, but a change in our Political Partnerships for the interest of our people. Our Think Tanks can meet twice every year to chart our course and discuss on the issues at hand in the Executive and both the National Assembly as well as The Senate.
c.c
Hon. Aden Duale
H.E Governor Ali Roba
Hon. Billow Kerrow
Further analysis will follow....
