Korane boost as rival steps down, backs his Garissa governor bid

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Former Garissa Governor Ali Korane has received a boost in his bid to recapture the seat in the 2027 elections after aspirant Mohamed Moulid Shurie withdrew from the race and offered to support him.

The move gives Korane an opportunity to consolidate votes from his larger Abduwak clan.

Both Shurie and Korane come from the Abduwak clan, which comprises seven sub-clans — Rer Yahya, Rer Gulled, Rer Kassim, Rer Musa, Rer Harun, Rer Mahat and Adhan Geri.

Korane comes from Rer Yahya, while Shurie is from Rer Gulled. Another Abduwak aspirant, Abdiqani Dubat, comes from Rer Kassim and remains in the race.

Shurie, the chief executive officer of the Northern Water Works Development Agency, announced his decision on Tuesday at a packed community shrine in Garissa town. He said he had chosen to put the interests of the community ahead of his personal ambition.

The event was attended by hundreds of community members and leaders, including Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed, Garissa Woman Representative Udgoon Siyad, Balambala MP Omar Shurie, former Garissa Woman Representative Anab Gure, several MCAs and other aspirants.

“As we are all aware, sometimes last year the Abduwak Council of Elders settled on Korane as the community's sole candidate for the Garissa gubernatorial seat. I was among the three candidates from the community who sent my application to the elders,” Shurie said.

“The decision, I must admit, was one that I and my supporters did not warmly welcome. But after consultations and persuasion by community elders, I have decided to put aside my personal ambition for what I regard as a broader community interest,” he added.

“As a community, we are much stronger when we are united. I have chosen to look at the bigger picture. There comes a time when the interest of the community is bigger than an individual's interest,” he said.

The move carries particular significance because Shurie is not a political newcomer and his decision is rooted in a history of electoral division within the community.

He contested the governorship in 2013, when the Abduwak community fielded two candidates — Korane and Shurie — in a race that ultimately divided the community's vote.

That experience has since become a reference point in discussions about the community's political strategy, with elders now seeking to avoid a repeat of the split.

Korane invoked that history while thanking Shurie for stepping aside, saying the community had already experienced the consequences of entering a gubernatorial election while divided.

“I want to sincerely thank my brother for the bold decision that he has made today. It is one that I personally don't take for granted. I am extremely grateful,” Korane said.

“As a community, we know the power of unity and speaking with one voice. We know what division can do. And we don't want to get there,” he added.

Garissa's politics have historically been influenced by three major clans — Abduwak, Awlihan and Samawadhal — whose political calculations often shape gubernatorial and parliamentary contests.

The immediate test for the Abduwak strategy, however, is whether the community can achieve the single-candidate arrangement that it is pursuing.

Dubat remains in the race, meaning Shurie's withdrawal has not yet produced the complete political consolidation sought by the elders.

Community leaders say discussions are ongoing with Dubat in an effort to persuade him to step aside and support Korane.

Nanigi MCA Abdullahi Ibrahim acknowledged the talks were ongoing.

“There were about two or three gubernatorial candidates from this community. One of them has decided to step down in favour of the former governor, Ali Korane. I believe this marks a new political roadmap for this family,” Ibrahim said.

“We are still waiting for our other brother Dubat to join this contest so that we can move forward together. We want Ali Korane to be the sole candidate for this family,” he added.

Ibrahim said the next task would be to bring together the political networks that previously supported Shurie and incorporate them into Korane's campaign.

“The next step is to unite everybody who was previously in the Shurie camp. He had his own followers and his own team, and we are now merging the two teams so that we can move forward together and begin our campaign directly on the ground,” he said.

Elder Ibrahim Salat said the council had accepted Shurie's decision and commended him for placing collective interests above his personal political ambitions.

“The Council of Elders commends your decision to prioritise the unity of the family and the community over personal political interests, specifically by stepping aside from the 2027 Garissa gubernatorial race,” Salat said.

“The certificate presented to Shurie therefore served not only as recognition of his role in the community but also as a symbolic endorsement of the political message accompanying his withdrawal.

The endorsement gives Korane an opportunity to position himself as the candidate around whom the Abduwak community can rally.

But the wider gubernatorial contest remains open, with Senator Abdul Haji, former Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye and former Ijara MP Ibrahim Abaas all in the race.

Instant analysis

Shurie’s withdrawal reshapes the Abduwak strategy in the 2027 Garissa gubernatorial race, reducing internal competition and strengthening Korane’s claim to community backing. But the strategy remains incomplete as Abdiqani Dubat stays in the contest. The outcome of efforts to persuade him to step aside could determine whether the Abduwak community enters the race with the unified front its elders are seeking, or repeats past divisions.