Wajir Senator Abdirahman Hassan has said he will retire from active politics for the sake of family unity.
He said his decision is not due to pressure or fear of losing his seat at the polls.
“It’s sometimes important to look at the bigger picture and in this case it is the unity of my family that matters most. It’s important that we remain united,” Hassan said on Saturday. He spoke at Shaletee Mixed Secondary School in Wajir South.
Hassan, popularly known as Olow,said he has has served residents for a long time and he feels it is time to step down. “I think I’m the only politician in Wajir who has won three consecutive general elections,” he said. He said he is ready to support the next Wajir government as long as the leaders’ agenda is to improve the livelihoods of residents.
Hassan becomes the third sitting politician from the county to announce his retirement after Tarbaj MP Mohamed Elmi made a similar announcement in December last year.
Elmi, 66, said he does not want to continue hanging onto politics and he needs to concentrate on other things.
“I want to show everybody there is life after politics. I believe it is the right time for me to exit the stage and pass the mantle to the young, vibrant and energetic individuals who will pick up from where I have left,” he said.
Elmi is from the Fai subclan of the Degodia clan. He said another major reason he is quitting is because he “has not earned much from politics”.
Wajir West MP Abdikadir Ore also will not contest. This was after he wrote to Matan clan elders in January, asking for endorsement. They refused and instead picked Ahmed Kolosh.
Meanwhile, clans are joining hands to rally behind one candidate to remove Governor Ahmed Abdullahi. The Fai subclan of the majority Degodia clan has endorsed Ugas Mohamed after holding an ugaste meeting. The ugaste is an elders’ association that usually comes together to create a united front on socio-political issues.