How negotiated democracy in Wajir saved Jubilee in the by-election

A traditional mechanism for nominating political leaders was a significant feature of the politics and political campaigns in the former North Eastern province of Kenya.

The concept, however, seemed to have somehow worked in Wajir by election where clan elders called the politicians to step aside and nominate a jubilee candidate for the seat.

A case study of negotiated democracy was witnessed in 2017 were a good number of legislative seats in both the national and county assemblies of the two counties.

Wajir and Garissa now become important laboratories for testing whether elders’ verdicts are a boon or bane to democracy and development.

Jubilee Party candidate Ahmed Kolosh yesterday won the Wajir West parliamentary by-election.

Mr Kolosh garnered 11,053 votes against Kanu’s Sheikh Ibrahim 6,532 ballots.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission tallied results from all the 75 polling stations spread out in four wards: Arbajahan, Hadado/Athibohol, Adam Admasajide, and Ganyure/Wagalla.

Last month,ODM party dropped the seat after the elders

In a statement shared on their official twitter handle, the Orange Party bowed out of the race noting that it had made the decision to reciprocate Jubilee Party’s good gesture of failing to field candidates in Embakasi South and Ugenya by-elections.

“The party has withdrawn from the April 25 by-election in Wajir West Constituency. This is after high-level party consultations which arrived at the decision to reciprocate Jubilee Party good gesture not to field candidates in the by-elections in Ugenya and Embakasi South”, read the statement.

Labour Party of Kenya’s Ali Noor Abdi and Agano Party’s Abbas Nunow also pulled out of the race in the run-up to the poll.

After the Kolosh win, the Orange Democratic Movement showered Ahmed Kolosh of the Jubilee Party with congratulatory messages.

ODM said the party was ready to work with Kolosh to serve residents of Wajir West constituency.

Political pundit believes that in coming years elders will play a big part in determining who will be elected on various posts.

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