EALA
MP Falhada Iman at a recent event /STEPHEN ASTARIKO
The race for the United Democratic Alliance ticket in the 2027 Garissa gubernatorial contest has intensified, with former Governor Ali Korane facing fresh political pressure after declaring that he has President Ruto's assurances he will carry the party’s flag.
In a recent interview, Korane was asked whether the UDA ticket could eventually be handed to another aspirant.
In his response, Korane dismissed the possibility, saying he had already discussed his ambitions with President William Ruto and received assurances regarding his place in the party.
“I went to the President and told him of my interest in the party and asked him that no one should disturb me within the party, and he promised me all that. I have confidence that I will be the party's flag bearer come 2027,” he said.
Korane’s assertion has triggered a sharp response from EALA MP Falhada Iman, a supporter of Garissa Senator Abdulkadir Haji's governorship bid. She said political parties should provide equal opportunities to their members and aspirants, rather than being controlled by individuals or families.
The vocal legislator warned that no individual should regard the UDA ticket as a personal possession.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the EALA MP called for fairness, transparency and equal treatment of all aspirants, warning that attempts to predetermine the party ticket could provoke resistance from members.
“UDA is a political party that belongs to its members, not to one individual, one family, or one political circle. Anyone has the right to join the party and seek its nomination, but no one should claim exclusive agreements, special privileges or ownership of the party,” she said.
“No one should be bigger than the party. No family should own the party. No individual should dictate who deserves the ticket,” Iman added.
She further argued that those joining UDA were doing so to participate in building a political party, rather than to replace one form of political control with another.
“We did not join UDA to replace one form of political ownership with another. We joined to build a party where every member has an equal voice and an equal opportunity,” she said.
The exchange has brought into sharp focus the battle that could unfold within UDA as several high-profile politicians position themselves to contest the party nomination for the county’s top seat.
Korane, who rejoined the political contest after losing the governorship to incumbent Governor Nathif Jama in the 2022 General Election, joined UDA in September last year in a high-profile ceremony at Mnara School grounds in Garissa town.
The event was attended by senior UDA officials, including secretary general Hassan Omar, national chairperson Cecily Mbarire and deputy party leader Issa Timamy, among other national and local politicians.
During the ceremony, Korane was formally presented with a UDA membership certificate by Omar, in a move that was widely interpreted as a strong political signal about his prospects within the ruling party.
His return to UDA has since been accompanied by an aggressive campaign to rebuild his support across the county.
Among those seen as potentially challenging Korane for the UDA ticket is Senator Abdulkadir Haji, who has yet to publicly declare which party ticket he will use to contest the governorship but is widely viewed as one of the leading figures seeking the seat.
Haji, who comes from the Samawadhal community, has in recent months been consolidating support across the county and has received significant backing from community elders.
In February, the Samawadhal community endorsed him as its preferred candidate, before the Awliyahan community later unanimously endorsed him as its sole candidate for governor.
The Awliyahan endorsement formally brought together the two communities under a political arrangement that has been described as the Talasame Alliance.
The senator has also been holding consultations beyond his traditional political base as he seeks to build a countywide coalition.
Last week, he also hosted a fundraiser in Nairobi attended by a number of political leaders, among them UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, further fuelling speculation about the senator's possible interest in the ruling party's ticket.
Apart from Korane and Haji, others in the race are former Ijara MP Ibrahim Abass, former Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye and former Principal Secretary Abdi Dubat.
The contest is further complicated by Garissa's long-standing clan and negotiated-democracy dynamics, with the Abduwaq, Awliyahan and Samawadhal communities playing significant roles in the county's political alignments.
Korane is from the Abduwaq community, while Haji and Abass come from the Samawadhal community. Shidiye comes from the Awliyahan community.
Garissa
governorship aspirant Ali Korane /STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Garissa Senator Abdul Haji during his endorsement by the Awlihan community /STEPHEN ASTARIKO
