Lafey MP wins crucial endorsement in his 2027 re-election bid

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Lafey MP Mohamed Abdikheir Mohamed has received a major political boost after elders from the Murule Weytan community unanimously endorsed his bid to defend the constituency in the 2027 General Election.

The endorsement, made during a high-profile gathering in Lafey town, hands the incumbent legislator a significant advantage in a constituency where the word of traditional elders carries enormous political weight.

The endorsement came after a seven-day consultative meeting held by the Abdi Yabarsen family, culminating in a wider gathering of Murule Weytan elders and community leaders, who unanimously declared their support for the incumbent legislator's bid for a second term.

After extensive consultations and scrutiny of those who had expressed interest in the parliamentary seat, the elders unanimously settled on Abdikheir as their preferred candidate for a second term.

Lafey Constituency is predominantly inhabited by three major sub-clans of the Murule community — Yabarsen, Sharmake and Nacabsor. The Yabarsen are the majority, while Sharmake and Nacabsor are minority sub-clans. Abdikheir comes from the Yabarsen sub-clan.

Leading the endorsement, Ugass Abdinasir Maalim Adan said the elders had subjected all aspirants to careful scrutiny before arriving at their decision, with the incumbent emerging as the most suitable candidate.

He said Abdikheir's development record, leadership experience and commitment to the constituency placed him ahead of his competitors.

“We have carefully assessed his performance and concluded that he deserves another term to complete the transformation of Lafey Constituency,” Adan said.

Another elder, Ugass Abdullahi Abdinur Gessey, said the community had taken into consideration the need for continuity in development, warning that changing leadership before ongoing programmes were completed could derail the progress already made.

He cited education, healthcare, infrastructure and efforts to improve access to clean and reliable water among areas where the elders said the MP had made notable contributions.

“We have looked at what has been achieved, what remains to be done and the leadership required to take Lafey to the next level. After considering all these factors, we are convinced that Abdikheir Mohamed remains the best choice for our community,” Gessey said.

Elder Abdirahman Mudow, said the unity of the Murule community remained its greatest political asset and cautioned residents against allowing individual ambitions to undermine collective interests.

He urged those seeking the seat but who had not secured the elders' endorsement to respect the community's decision and work towards maintaining unity.

The elders subsequently issued a strong appeal to voters across Lafey Constituency to rally behind Abdikheir and give him a second mandate, arguing that continuity would enable him to consolidate gains made during his first term and complete unfinished projects.

“We are calling upon our people to remain united and rally behind our candidate. We have made our assessment, listened to the aspirations of our people and arrived at this decision in the interest of development. We now ask the electorate to give Abdikheir Mohamed a second term so that he can continue with the work he has started,” the elders said.

For Abdikheir, the endorsement was both a political victory and a vote of confidence in his leadership.

The MP thanked the elders for entrusting him with the responsibility of carrying the community's political flag into the 2027 elections, saying he was particularly humbled because he was not the only aspirant who had sought their blessing.

He said the elders' decision demonstrated that his record had stood the test of scrutiny and pledged not to take the confidence placed in him for granted.

“I am deeply humbled and honoured by the decision of our elders to endorse me for a second term. This is particularly significant because I was not the only person seeking their approval. I therefore accept this responsibility with humility and a renewed commitment to serve our people even better,” Abdikheir said.

The legislator pledged to continue providing progressive and inclusive leadership while accelerating development in a constituency he said had for many years lagged behind other parts of the country in key development indicators.

He said a second term would provide an opportunity to consolidate achievements made during his first tenure while opening new opportunities for residents.

His priorities, he said, would include education, infrastructure, youth and women empowerment and programmes targeting people living with disabilities.

“Lafey has for a long time lagged behind in development, and that is something we must collectively change. We have made progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I am willing and ready to continue offering good leadership and working with our people to uplift this constituency,” he said.

Abdikheir pointed to investments in education infrastructure as one of the key pillars of his leadership, saying he considered education critical to transforming the lives of young people and creating opportunities for future generations.

He also cited programmes targeting women, youth and people living with disabilities as part of his efforts to ensure that development reaches all sections of the constituency.

He recalled an empowerment programme he hosted about a month ago, during which senior government and political leaders were present, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale serving as the chief guest.

He used the opportunity to urge residents to take advantage of the government's decision to remove additional vetting requirements that had previously made it difficult for some residents in the region to obtain national identity cards.

He called on all eligible residents without IDs to acquire the documents and subsequently register as voters, arguing that identification and voter registration were critical to strengthening the region's political voice.

“Let us take advantage of this opportunity. Our people can now acquire identity cards without the kind of difficulties and additional vetting processes that have for years stood in their way. Every eligible resident should get an ID, register as a voter and participate in the democratic process,” he said.

The MP further asked residents to reciprocate what he described as the government's efforts by supporting President William Ruto's re-election bid in 2027.

He argued that the administration had undertaken several development projects and introduced measures aimed at addressing long-standing challenges facing the region.

According to Abdikheir, the easing of the process of acquiring identity cards was itself a significant development that should be acknowledged by residents.

“The fact that our people can now get identity cards without much hustle is reason enough for us to appreciate the government's efforts. President Ruto has done a lot for this region in terms of development, and we should recognise and support that progress,” he said.

He called for a vigorous mobilisation campaign to ensure that eligible residents obtain identification documents, register as voters and participate in the 2027 elections.

Among Somali and other pastoralist communities in northern Kenya, elders wield considerable influence in determining the political direction of their communities.

Their decisions are often treated with great seriousness, with candidates who secure their endorsement enjoying a formidable head start in electoral contests.

Unlike in many other parts of the country where political parties, opinion polls and campaign machinery can heavily influence electoral outcomes, politics in the North Eastern region is often shaped by negotiated clan consensus and the decisions of elders.

In many instances, an elders' endorsement is regarded as the final word, particularly where a community has agreed on a single candidate.

It was this deeply rooted influence that played a significant role in Abdikheir's victory in the 2022 elections, when he defied the prevailing political wave to clinch the Lafey parliamentary seat on a Jubilee Party ticket.

His victory was particularly significant because the United Democratic Movement (UDM), which was then dominant in the region, swept four parliamentary seats. Abdikheir nevertheless secured a landslide victory on the Jubilee ticket, underscoring the power of local political alliances, clan consensus and the backing of elders.

The latest endorsement follows a seven-day consultative process convened by the Abdi Yabarsen family before the deliberations were expanded into a broader gathering of Murule Weytan elders and community leaders.