Halima Abgudo, a former Isiolo County Tourism Executive, defeated Cherab MCA Mohammed Jirmo (UDA) to become the county’s first elected female ward representative.
Ms Abgudo (Kanu) received 2,361 votes, while Mr Jirmo received 903 votes. With 1,709 votes, Osman Abdirahman finished in second place, and Kunune Abdi Halakhe had 499 votes.
The senator-elect Ali Roba who is the former governor of Mandera, and his United Democratic Movement (UDM) pulled off a surprise by winning four of the ten MCA seats in Isiolo.
Some of the ward representatives include; Meja Abdullahi Golicha (Chari), Jillo Abdinur Dima (Kinna), Abdirashid Ali (Garbatulla) and Godana Abubakar Abdi (Sericho).
Read: Ali Roba’s UDM Party Bags Majority Seats in Mandera
Intriguingly, Mr Abdullahi, a former personal assistant to outgoing Chari MCA Ali Dima, trounced his former boss who finished second in the contest with 839 votes and a margin of 151 votes.
Mr Dima ran for office in 2017 on the ODM ticket, but this time around, he ran on a Kanu ticket.
“I was his personal aide from the time he was elected (in 2017) until 2019, when I took a different path after realising that his leadership was not consultative,” Mr Abdullahi said.
After the split, Mr Abdullahi continued to be active in community affairs and assisted locals in getting access to some essential services by keeping a close eye on Mr Dima and advocating on their behalf in other offices.
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He then decided to run for the Chari MCA seat with the support of the community.
“Borana elders endorsed me for the seat and youths volunteered to help me campaign,” he is quoted by the Nation.
Borehole drilling will be prioritized in the ward to end water shortages, Mr Abdullahi told the daily.
He will also advocate for the addition of rangers to the police to help put an end to banditry and push for a county health insurance program for the elderly who have underlying medical conditions.
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Abdi Sora (Garbatulla) and Nura Diba (Sericho), two-term incumbent MCAs, were beaten by Mr Ali and Mr Abubakar, respectively. Ali received 2,008 votes, while Mr Abubakar received 1,760.
Isack Fayo, the outgoing MCA for Kinna and majority leader of the Isiolo assembly, was ousted by Mr Abdinur after receiving 2,438 votes.
President-elect William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) won the MCA seats in Burat and Ngaremara.
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