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Three close relatives are in a fierce battle in Azimio La Umoja for the Mandera governorship seat.

The contest is between President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party and Governor Ali Roba’s United Democratic Movement (UDM).

The contest to succeed  Roba who is serving his second and final term in office has attracted six candidates who have declared their intention to vie for the position.

They are three gubernatorial aspirants who are relatives and expected to battle it out for the Jubilee Party’s ticket.

Senator Mohamed Maalim Mohamud, former Cabinet secretary Adan Mohamed, and Mombasa-based businessman Faisal Abdirahman Abass are all seeking the ruling party’s ticket in their quest to succeed Governor Roba.

New twist

Abass and Adan hail from the Tuuf clan are cousins through their mothers who are sisters while Senator Mohamud is married to the former Cabinet secretary’s sister. Others in the contest are former Education CAS Hassan Noor Hassan businessman Adan Haji Issack, and Ali Kiti, a banker.

On Sunday the race took a new twist as Governor Roba unveiled Mandera County Speaker Mohamed Adan Khalif as his successor, Dr. Ali Mohamed as his running mate, and a two-term nominated Member County Assembly member of Mandera Umulkheir Kassim as women representative, and Governor Ali Ibrahim Roba to vie for Senator. They will run under the UDM party.

“We have now completed our UDM line up for Mandera County and we ask our people to vote for this camp as it carries the aspirations of many,” said Governor Roba, who doubles up as UDM party leader.

Expressed confidence

Under negotiated democracy that is largely practised in Mandera county, Murulle Clan Council of Elders endorsed Senator Mohamed Mohamud as the community gubernatorial and former Mandera East MP Mohamed Hussein as his running mate for the upcoming August 9 elections.

During his campaigns in Takaba on Sunday, Senator Mohamud excluded confidence in trouncing his close competitors saying they were mere “visitors” in the county.

“All I ask my opponents is that they carry out peaceful campaigns devoid of insults and violence. We have party nominations coming up next week, I will trounce all of them, they should be prepared to accept defeat,” he said.

The senator drummed support for Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate Raila.