On 14th of October 2010, Wajir South constituency had a historical event that deserves not to be left unmentioned. The by election was successfully conducted, with Mohamud Muhumed Sirat declared the winner. Sirat hails from Bahgeri sub-clan, among the four Ogaden sub-clans inhabiting the constituency.
It’s the first time ever in History that minority sub-clan winning the seat following a successful petition against the former MP Abdirahman Ali Hassan alias Olow. Hassan hails from one of the major political ‘giant’ sub-clans, Mohamed Subeyr.
However, Sirat was backed by another equally giant sub-clan, Makabul who were unhappy with Hassan’s leadership. Moreover, the Makabul swear to teach Hassan a tough lesson by convincing their sole candidate, Awil Aden Ahmed to step-down in favor of Sirat.
The deal is done, with Sirat in the seat facing uncountable challenges ahead of him with only less than two years before the general election in 2012. The constituency is the second largest after North Hoor in Turkana County. Poverty derailed for centuries with unobservable changes since independence. It’s similar to the neighboring lower and middle Juba constituencies in Somalia that suffered nearly 20 yrs of anarchy. The local people in this constituency are the same sub-clans that inhabit Juba that are divided by the so called ‘imaginary borderline’.
Sirat has to reactivate the only ‘financial basket’ of the constituency that each and everybody depend on, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). This is Hassan’s leftover with insignificant content following its closure after the seat was declared vacant. Sirat, mainly dependence on this basket to attend to his huge hungry followers and complete the CDF projects that was initiated by his predecessor yet other promises made during the campaign has to be resolved. How can Sirat attend to resolve such huge needs with such limited financial status yet he spent millions of shillings to petition his rival and also during the campaign period? Politicians in this constituency account for recovering what has been consumed in the election period apart from getting political powers and prestige.
Prestige and power is with Sirat now but it’s incredible to account for what has been spent in the petition and
election campaign to be recovered in less than two yrs. Wajir south people will continue suffering under this dynamics. Others argue, that their objective was to let Hassan go allegedly accusing him of nepotism, poor leadership and dividing the Ogaden sub-clans leading to hatred and escalating poverty. ‘We do not want anything from Sirat, we only wanted him to replace Hassan who divided us on clan based issues and created hatred among the Ogaden’s’.
An elder in Habaswein Township was quoted saying. ‘Sirat is an Ogaden hero and will unite these clans’. He further added.
County politics
Wajir south is one of the four constituencies that would constitute Wajir county in 2012. Other constituencies include, Wajir West, Wajir East and Wajir North. Wajir West and Wajir East are dominated by the Degodia clan. This is the expected leading clan in Wajir county politics. The other constituency is inhabited by the Ajuraan clan. Ajuraan also inhabit parts of Wajir West together with dominating Degodia.
The inexperience Sirat is also faced by Wajir county politics before 2012. Although, Wajir south constituency produces famous political figures who will vie for the highest offices in the county government yet Sirat is to chair Wajir south political forums to discuss county politics as the seating MP of the area. He stands a better position to unite the Ogaden clans in the county politics than his predecessor.
According to a local political analyst, Sirat won the seat because senior political figures notably from the Makabul, Mohamed Subeyr and Gare sub-clans backed him due to the fact that Hassan was a serious threat in the county politics in 2012 against these figures if was to hang onto the seat .Sirat’s efforts to kneel down the former MP was financed by this shadow actors. Sirat’s tenure will be over by 2012 as famous and strong politicians from the constituency engage in the county politics. The hottest seat to grab in the county politics is the governor’s seat with Degodia declaring ‘untouchable’ while Ogaden’s are keenly eyeing for the seat.
The Ajuraan’s who have a close relationship with the Degodia in Wajir west are in dilemma where to suit themselves best yet their support and bargaining strategy will determine who wins the
governor’s seat among the main rivals for the seat, the Degodia and the Ogaden’s. The Ogaden’s are determining to register the highest ever voters in the constituency following a declining registers in the last referendum censes of only 130,000 voters. This figure has annoyed most of the politicians in the area who accused the locals of migrating to more urbanized centers including Garissa and Eastliegh in Nairobi.
Meanwhile, underneath discussions are ongoing within the potential political figures in the larger Wajir County over how seats can be shared without many disputes. This is a good initiative.
Degodia are for the idea that they should be given the governor’s seat, the Ogaden’s and Ajuraan’s to agree on the senator and the deputy governor. Furthermore, in each clan, for example, the Degodia are divided into sub-clans who were political rivalry each vying to get the lion’s share, equally are the Ogaden’s and the Ajuraan’s. Although there are enough seats in the county government to be shared yet the existing enmity among the sub-clans will undermine the power sharing deals hence opting for competitive exercise that may eventually led to escalating disputes among the county inhabitants.
The mother of six left home on Saturday at noon to search for water, 20 kilometers away.
Ms Maow, a resident of Malah Libah, 50 kilometers from Habaswein, the biggest trading centre in Wajir South constituency, said she spent much
of the time with her bare feet as she struggled to fill her jerricans with water at 20km water damp.
“I have to be careful not to be bitten by snakes as I trek for water, especially at night.”
The water can only last her a day and a half before another 20-kilometre trek in search of water. Her story is replicated in many households across the expansive constituency, one of the largest in the country. Access to water is a major headache for residents of the constituency, yet the issue will not be a factor in constituency politics.
Here, residents elect leaders largely on the basis of a candidate’s clan. Burning issues such as poverty, water, security, roads, political parties and food are pushed to the periphery. The constituency does not have even a kilometer of tarmacked road. Poverty and illiteracy levels are considerably high and only Habaswein town has electricity.
Prepared by Moulid Ali Osman
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Ajuuraan’s in west wajir are not skilled in negotiation, with the so called dominant clan,Ajuuraan have been deeply divided by the degodia for the last 20yrs due to its corruption in the wajir west seat ,the degodia want to make it parmentely for themself.Ajuuraan are currently not well versed and not exprienced with NFD, for that reason degodia will manupulate and play games, in politics itts about cheating and playing games, am afraid i dont see ajuuraan emerging from the this dirty politics from NFd clan politics but the ajuuraan pple historical informed us once ruled Somalia , and south Ethiopia current called ogaden with good leadership they will not always loose beacause of their pity issue Ogaden have also expand Ajuuraan land to its own contituence,eg Habswein. I can see both Ogaden and degodia expand and dividing ajuuraan land tell me how do you discribe this in the political sitiuation?