Young chief officer takes campaign to Wajir’s doorsteps in bid for governor

Wajir Governorship aspirant Yahya Mohamed Dahiye interacts with residents of Wagberi ward /STEPHEN ASTARIKO 

What began as a political experiment that some opponents and residents initially dismissed as a joke is slowly turning into one of the more closely watched campaign strategies in the race for the Wajir governorship.

Yahya Mohamed Dahiye, the county’s current Chief Finance Officer and the youngest among the prominent aspirants seeking to succeed Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, has chosen to take his campaign directly to voters—venturing into villages, neighbourhoods and markets instead of waiting for the traditional political machinery to bring supporters to him.

The approach is gradually attracting attention among sections of the electorate, particularly young people and residents who say they want greater direct interaction with those seeking political office.

Dahiye was on Saturday in Bula Wagberi in Wagberi Ward, Wajir East Constituency, where he held a meeting with residents as part of his growing grassroots campaign.

The visit came barely a week after he held a similar engagement with residents of Bula Gif Cade, underlining what has increasingly become a defining feature of his campaign: taking the political conversation to the doorsteps of ordinary voters.

Unlike the traditional campaign model in which aspirants first appear before clan elders, declare their interest, seek blessings and, in some cases, undergo negotiations and consensus-building before embarking on wider mobilisation, Dahiye has largely opted to begin with the voters themselves.

His meetings have also lacked some of the trappings commonly associated with political campaigns in the region—large convoys of vehicles, fuel-guzzling SUVs and vehicles fitted with loudspeakers.

Instead, the gatherings are relatively simple, with residents sitting with the aspirant and discussing issues affecting their communities.

At the meetings, residents are given an opportunity to do most of the talking. They raise concerns about the challenges facing their neighborhoods, after which Dahiye responds and explains how he intends to address them if elected governor.

Addressing the residents, Dahiye said he had deliberately adopted a grassroots campaign strategy that will take him to villages, markets and neighbourhoods rather than rely on established political networks and community brokers to mobilise support.

“We are not able to defeat clan democracy, negotiated democracy or the negotiations by elders. As young people, we should defeat that system and engage the people directly, without any intermediaries,” Dahiye said.

He said that political leadership should not be treated as a reward reserved for individuals who have spent years in politics or as a favour extended to someone because of a clan arrangement.

“Leadership is not a job for retirement, nor is it a benefit or a favour that we do for someone simply because he or she has been nominated by a particular clan,” he said.

The remarks touch on one of the most sensitive aspects of politics in northern Kenya, where clan elders and negotiated political arrangements have traditionally played an important role in determining candidates and mobilising electoral support.

While the influence of elders remains significant, Dahiye is betting that direct engagement with individual voters can create a different political conversation—one in which residents themselves have a greater say in determining the issues that should shape the election.

Speaking at the event, Adedey Ahmed, a resident said that she welcomed the decision by Dahiye to interact directly with ordinary voters rather than relying entirely on intermediaries.

“I personally like the approach Yahya has taken of engaging the ordinary voters directly. It has allowed us to interact with him directly without relying on intermediaries. This is something we have never seen before with the other aspirants,” she said.

“For a long time, political campaigns have largely been organised through elders and other community leaders. There is nothing wrong with respecting our elders, but the voter is also an important part of this process. We want leaders who can come to where we live, listen to us and hear our concerns directly,” Farhia said.

She noted that taking campaigns to the villages would help bridge the gap between politicians and ordinary citizens, particularly those who may not have an opportunity to attend meetings involving community elders and political leaders.

“We are happy when an aspirant comes to our neighbourhood instead of expecting everyone to travel to one central meeting. When a candidate comes here, we can see him, listen to what he is saying and also tell him what we expect from the next government. We want to laud your approach,” she said.

“I hope the emerging emphasis on grassroots engagement would encourage more aspirants to interact directly with voters across villages and neighbourhoods as the political season gathers momentum,” he added

Farhia Ugas, another resident of Wagberi, said there was nothing wrong with respecting elders but argued that ordinary voters should also have an opportunity to engage candidates directly.

She noted that the direct grassroots engagement had given young people a greater voice and share their challenges.

“Young people are the majority of the population, yet sometimes our views are discussed by other people on our behalf. So by you coming here in our village and speaking directly with us has given us an opportunity to participate. We want politics where the people themselves are part of the conversation,” she said.

Another resident, Muhtar Abey, said the traditional practice of aspirants first seeking endorsements from elders and pursuing consensus had its place in society but should not replace direct engagement with voters.

“Our elders have an important role in society, and we respect them. But when it comes to elections, every voter has a voice. A candidate should be able to meet the people directly and explain his plans. That is why this kind of grassroots campaign is important,” Abey said.

He said taking politics to places where people live and work could also give candidates a clearer understanding of the challenges facing communities.

“When leaders come to the market like you have done, you get the opportunity to meet people and understand the real challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. Politics should not only be about leaders meeting behind closed doors and then coming to announce decisions to the people,” he said.

Dahiye’s approach represents a departure from a political culture in which aspirants have often relied heavily on established networks of elders, community influencers and political brokers to build support.

Communities and sub-clans have been undertaking consultations and endorsement processes.

The Fai sub-clan of the Degodia community has already endorsed Hassan Mohamed Adan as its candidate, while the Matan community has been consulting aspirants including Dahiye, former MP Ahmed Kolosh and Omar Sheikh.

Others in the race include Capital Markets Authority chairman Ugas Sheikh Mohamed, former governor Mohamed Abdi, former Cabinet minister Mohamed Elmi and Hassan Wehliye.

Wajir Governorship aspirant Yahya Mohamed Dahiye is carried shoulder high by residents of Wagberi, in Wajir East constituency./STEPHEN ASTARIKO.Wajir Governorship aspirant Yahya Mohamed Dahiye interacts with residents of Wagberi ward, where he had taken his campaign./STEPHEN ASTARIKO