Garissa Assembly speaker eyes Ijara parliamentary seat

Garissa County Assembly Speaker Ahmed Ibrahim Abass has his eyes fixed on the Ijara parliamentary seat in the August general elections.

Abass will be seeking to reclaim the seat he lost in 2017 to the first elected woman in the North Eastern Region, Sophia Abdi.

Speaking during the launch of his campaign over the weekend, Mr Abass said his record as the former legislature speaks for itself.

“I have represented Ijara constituency in the past and I am riding on my development record when I was the area MP. I am a very well-known person here and I believe my past record will win me back the seat,” he said.

He urged the residents of Ijara to register as voters arguing that it is only through the ballot that they will get the kind of leaders they deserve.

Mr Abass, an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) candidate, said he was confident his party leader would win the presidency.

According to Mr Abass, the people of Ijara deserve his leadership, something they have missed in the past five years.

“I am looking at improving the livelihood of my constituency and this will be achieved through the constituency development funds. I will be focusing on education and give full sponsorship to students taking teaching, medical and engineering courses,” he said.

He maintained his past record will give him a win against the sitting MP, Sophia Abdi.

“I worked hard including connecting Ijara to the national electricity grid and everyone knows what I did and what has been done in my absence. They are yearning for leadership because they have missed a lot,” he said.

It remains to be seen how Mr Abass will emerge the winner against Ms Abdi who broke the record in 2017 to become the first female to be elected in the North Eastern Region.

Many communities in the North Eastern hold conservative views based on their religion and culture on women leadership, no woman has ever held an elective position since Kenya’s independence.

Mr Abass who has since been endorsed by his clan elders was accompanied by Ms Falhada Iman, nominated senator and a handful of Members of Garissa County Assembly.