A fresh row has emerged in Tana River County’s Orma community over the council of elders’ choice of a flagbearer for the governor’s position in the 2022 General Election.
The negotiated democracy model where elders single out individuals to contest political positions every election cycle has been challenged by community members.
The council, led by Mr Omar Gobe, had met in Dibe village, Tana Delta, and settled on Bura MP Ali Wario to be the community’s flagbearer.
But a group opposed to the decision held a ceremony at the community’s sacred ground in Wayu Boru village, Galole constituency, and asked for it to be rescinded.
The residents, led by hundreds of elders, embarked on a day-long meeting that saw them dissolve the official council of elders and appoint new ones.
Mr Dibe Barisa, who has been serving as the official deputy chairman of the council, was appointed to be chairperson and led the elders in endorsing Interior Chief Administrative Secretary Hussein Dado as the community’s flagbearer.
They also crowned him as the community’s kingpin.
According to Mr Barisa, some of the elders, led by the embattled chairman Mr Gobe, defied the community’s rules hence the vote of no confidence leading to the ouster.
Mr Barisa claimed eight members affiliated to Mr Gobe were compromised with gifts after one of the aspirants took them to visit a leading presidential aspirant, a trip that influenced them to go against the popular vote made by the council of elders.
“They were given a car, money, and Gobe was promised a house to endorse the least popular candidate that the presidential candidate even saw being rejected in his home turf in one of his recent visits,” said Mr Barisa.
Out of the more than 40 members on the council, only eight reportedly voted for MP Wario, while 30 were in favour of CAS Dado.
The eight, however, organised a short ceremony to endorse Mr Wario in Dibe village, against the customs of the community.
Mr Barisa noted that according to the community’s customs, all endorsements are to be made in the community’s shrine in Wayu Boru, situated in a grazing field.
“We could not sit and watch them defile our customs for their selfish interests,” he said.
Further, Barisa rebuked their colleagues for putting up the community’s respected process on auction by allowing their mandate to be influenced with small gifts.
But an embattled Mr Gobe, who was kicked out of the council’s top leadership, dismissed the remarks and the claims that their decision was influenced by gifts, saying decisions made by his colleagues were fair and democratic.
He urged community members to ignore the new council of elders and put their trust in the official team to make wise decisions in the interest of the community.
Mr Dado and Mr Wario have indicated they will be in the governorship race and will vie on Jubilee and UDA party tickets respectively.
The elders said they will embark on sensitising the community on the new changes on the council of elders, as well as seek a coalition with like-minded communities.
They called on the Interior CAS to start pursuing friends in other communities and ensure he builds an all-inclusive alliance worthy of victory in the elections scheduled for August.
“We have seen how everyone has suffered under the current administration. Everyone is crying, including his people. It is time to end this and lead a united Tana,” said Mr Dakan Huko, an elder.
CAS Dado has promised to improve the county’s administration if he wins.
The former county chief said he is capable of putting the county’s Sh8 billion budget into good use, gushing over his track record with an Sh3.2 billion budget in his time as governor.
“Everyone knows my capability and I am back again to prove that we can be better, and I will lead us as a county to that greatness,” he said.
Mr Dado announced that he would vie for the gubernatorial seat on a Jubilee ticket, noting that the party was going to make a stronger comeback.
Meanwhile, Mr Wario was handed a flagbearer’s certificate by the eight elders in Bura, where he held a public rally and urged residents to back his ambitions for a better county. BY DAILY NATION