BY SAM ALFAN.
Defense Cabinet secretary Aden Duale has proved to be the undisputed kingpin of Northern Kenya politically after campaigning for his UDA party to capture the Garissa Township constituency.
Duale resigned as the area MP to join President William Ruto’s cabinet. He had held the parliamentary seat for four consecutive terms.
He was rewarded with the cabinet post by Ruto because of his loyalty to the head of state. He lost his post of majority leader in the National Assembly because of his close ties with Ruto towards the end of the 12th parliament.
The CS had to fight fiercely to ward off competition from UDM, a party belonging to Mandera senator Ali Roba.
Before his removal as the majority leader, Duale had served the powerful and influential position for almost eight years.
Duale left Orange Democratic party alongside Ruto and later formed United Republican Party (URP) which later joined former president Kenyatta TNA to form Jubilee party and which won the 2013 presidential election and form the government.
United Democratic Alliance party candidate Barrow Dekow Mohamed emerged victorious in the Garissa Township parliamentary by-election proved Duale’s political stability and influence in Northern Kenya region.
Dekow , who is a brother-in-law to Duale, garnered 11,572 votes to win the seat showing dust to former Mandera Governor Roba’s candidate UDM’s Nasir Dolal who got 8,158 votes.
Dekow’s victory was a major political blow to Ali Roba’s and his party UDM which has been flexing muscles as the party for the region.
