Ahmed Ali Madey on the left with UDA Hassan Omar and Mandera
UDA point man and nominated MP Abdisirat Khalif when he paid a courtesy call at Hustlers Plaza. /STEPHEN ASTARIKOA fresh political dispute is emerging within the Murule community after leaders from the Ali Sharmarke sub-clan rejected an elder's decision to endorse Omar Maalim as their preferred candidate for the Mandera East parliamentary seat ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Ahmed Ali Madey, a former Mandera County Executive Committee Member for Water who served in the county government for about 13 years in various capacities, said he would continue pursuing his political ambitions and seek support directly from voters at the ballot.
Madey questioned the process through which the elders reached their decision, arguing that an undertaking of such political significance could not reasonably have been concluded in less than 30 minutes.
He described the process as unfair and alleged that it was intended to undermine his political ambitions.
“History repeats itself. In 1992, the late Hon. Abdullahi Sheikh Adhan, popularly known as Abajana, was subjected to injustice by the same elders, but he went ahead to campaign and triumphed. We will do the same and go directly to the electorate,” Madey said.
The disagreement has brought renewed attention to the role of negotiated democracy within the Murule community, with Madey and his supporters maintaining that voters should ultimately have the opportunity to choose their preferred candidate.
Elder Ugas Hajji Ali Fanah said negotiated democracy should not necessarily be treated as an electoral process where an elders’ decision automatically becomes final.
He maintained that the political process was only beginning and said his camp would take its case directly to residents of Mandera East.
“We have voted for all the sub-clans of the Murule community, but never were we given the mantle. It is our time. We ask for the votes of our humble people of Mandera East,” Ugas said.
Aftin Mohamed, a businessman from the Ali Sharmarke sub-clan, said the community had previously supported decisions intended to preserve unity, including backing other sections of the wider Sharmarke community during past election cycles.
He said the sub-clan had now decided to pursue its own political path.
“We started this journey in 2017. We agreed to support our Elgal Sharmarke brothers on the basis of many promises, but to date, those promises have not been fulfilled. The same happened in 2022. Now, in 2027, we are going straight to the ballot,” Aftin said.
The disagreement follows a recent endorsement of Omar Sala, the former Mandera East MP and current Mandera County Assembly Speaker, by elders from the Egal Sharmarke sub-clan. The endorsement came after another aspirant, Engineer Abdi Maalim Hassan, withdrew his bid and backed Sala.
The development has nevertheless exposed differing positions within the wider Murule community, with Madey and his supporters indicating that they intend to pursue the electoral route rather than rely solely on negotiated arrangements.
The absence of nominated MP Abdisirat Khalif from the endorsement event has also prompted questions among some community members and political observers. However, the reasons for the absence have not been established from the information available.
Madey and his supporters now say they will take their campaign directly to the electorate, setting the stage for a potentially competitive contest within the Murule community as the 2027 elections approach.
The dispute highlights differing views over how political consensus should be reached within the community, with some leaders backing negotiated arrangements while others are calling for voters to have the final say at the ballot.
