Reject clan endorsements and seek leadership roles, Garissa youth urged

*Former Abakaile MCA Mohamed Ali poses for a group photo with some of the youth the Aulyahan clan. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO*

Youth in Garissa have been urged to seek elective positions and take up leadership roles so as to shape their future.

Former Abakaile MCA Mohamed Ali said young people must embrace responsibility and prepare themselves to actively participate in governance.

Ali spoke when he hosted youths from all nine sub-clans of the Aulyahan clan.

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The gathering brought together youth leaders and community representatives who discussed the role of young people in shaping the political and socio-economic future of the county.

The former MCA, who also serves as the Garissa county chairperson of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), told the youth that leadership opportunities should not be postponed to the future. He said the time to act is now.

“The future is not tomorrow, it is today. If we want to see a different Garissa and a better Kenya, our youth must step forward and shape that future,” Ali said.

He said young people will play a critical role not only in electing credible leaders but also in presenting themselves as candidates for various leadership positions.

Ali called for the establishment of a strong and united youth umbrella lobby that can champion the interests of young people in the county.

He said such a platform will address key challenges facing the youth, including unemployment, limited economic opportunities and lack of adequate representation in leadership.

He urged youth to remain responsible, disciplined and committed to community development, saying that leadership begins with taking initiative and being accountable.

The forum noted that Garissa county has lagged behind in several areas of development despite its potential.

Hussein Hassan, a youth leader from Dadaab, said the region continues to struggle with inadequate healthcare services, limited educational opportunities, poor infrastructure, and few economic prospects for young people.

“For too long our county has remained behind in key areas of development — from healthcare and education to infrastructure and economic opportunities. While other regions move forward, we continue to struggle with basic services and unfulfilled promises,” Hassan said.

He singled out long-standing influence of clan-based politics in decision-making as the biggest obstacle.

Politics in the Northeastern region has traditionally revolved around clan affiliations, where leaders are often endorsed by clan elders before elections. In many cases, such endorsements significantly determine who ultimately wins elective seats.

Hassan said it is time for the youth to break away from that pattern by prioritising competence, integrity, and development-oriented leadership.

“It is time for the youth to stand up and be counted — not only in electing good leaders but also by contesting for the available seats,” he said.

Another youth leader, Abdi Hajir, also called for a major shift in how leaders are chosen in the region.

“Choosing leaders based solely on clan affiliation has not served us well. My fellow youth, the time has come for us to truly stand up and be counted. The future of our destiny lies in our own hands,” he said.

Hajir urged young people to resist manipulation by politicians who exploit clan divisions for personal gain. He encouraged them to unite and support capable leaders who can deliver meaningful change.

He said clan politics has contributed to deep divisions within communities and has limited the emergence of capable and visionary leaders. Such a the system often allows individuals who lack the necessary qualifications or leadership ability to assume positions of responsibility simply because they belong to a particular lineage, he said.