The Somali community in Mombasa has asked Aden Duale to stop meddling in politics in the county led by Hassan Joho.

Chairman Abdulrahman Yusuf said Duale, who is National Assembly Majority leader and Garissa Town MP, cannot “dictate” who the community should vote for on August 8.

Yusuf said the community was well-informed on this and that his attacks on their leaders will not sway them.

He said Duale’s style of politics will not go down well with them and asked him to keep off or face their wrath.

“The community is focused on trying to unite the 10 sub-clans but he is busy interfering. Some people he prefers will actually not get the community’s votes,” he said.

He spoke at the Star’s office on Monday when he said the community had resolved to back Joho’s re-election.

Yusuf also demanded that Duale should stop his “unending” attack on Joho and other ODM leaders in the county.

Duale said on Sunday that the Governor was uneducated and that some of his misjudgment resulted from lack of understanding.

He echoed Deputy President William Ruto’s sentiment that Joho bought his academic papers. But Kampala University said Joho legitimately earned his degree from the institution.

The Majority leader further said workers in the Export Processing Zone were suffering because Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi (ODM) was an inept leader.

The owners of the EPZ, Antex Processing Zone, said employees were suspended after 12 production lines were shut due to technical hitches.

Duale said politician Abdi Daib of Jubilee would give Changamwe residents proper representation.

But Yusuf said he will hold crisis talks for Daib to decamp from Jubilee to ODM as he will not be guaranteed the ticket for Changamwe MP.

“Joho, being the ODM deputy party leader and who lends us his ears, is in the right position to give Daib the Nominated MP slot in the event he decamps from Jubilee,” he said.

Yusuf also said the community will have a candidate for the Deputy Governor slot in the 2022 general election. DG Hazel Katana switched allegiance from ODM to Jubilee.

Duale said Joho should not get a second term for what he termed poor leadership and subjecting the Somali community to neglect.

But Yusuf said they have benefited immensely under his leadership and that Duale’s claim was unfounded.
“We were given two senior posts at the government, one being the executive slot. County administrator Idris Abdulrahman is one of us. More than 150 youths from our community have been employed across various departments,” he said.