By Staff Writer

WAJIR, Kenya, July 26 – The Fai community has nominated Dr Hassan Mohamed Fuje as its preferred candidate for the 2027 Wajir gubernatorial election, concluding a multi-day internal selection process that ended in a delegates’ vote after efforts to reach a consensus failed.

The Sultan of Fai, Sultan Najib Ahmed, presented Dr Fuje with a certificate of nomination at the Sultanates Headquarters in Wajir town on Sunday, formally endorsing him as the community’s sole candidate ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election.

The declaration followed several days of consultations and deliberations involving elders, community leaders and delegates.

Organisers said the process began with five aspirants before narrowing to a final contest between Dr Fuje and Hassan Wehliye Khalid after other candidates withdrew.

According to insiders, Ugas Sheikh Mohamed withdrew shortly before the vote, while former minister Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi also stepped aside during the final stages of the process. Delegates were then asked to choose between the remaining two contenders.

The chairman of the selection committee, Mohamed Adan Osman, announced the outcome on Saturday night after the completion of the process.

“We have been handling this process for long and we have been here for the last four days. We had five contestants but after the process Dr Hassan Mohamed Fuje is the family flag bearer,” Osman said.

Dr Fuje accepted the nomination on Sunday, describing the endorsement as both a political milestone and a responsibility entrusted to him by the community.

“I humbly received the final coronation from the Fai Mediation Committee, the Sultanates, and the entire Fai Community as the sole candidate of the Fai Nation,” he said during the certificate presentation.

He added: “I make this solemn promise to the people of Wajir: I will never betray the confidence you have placed in me.”

The gynaecologist, who previously served as chief executive of the now-defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), said he would prioritise improving healthcare while pursuing what he described as servant leadership and an inclusive approach to governing if elected.

He also pledged to engage communities across the county during the campaign.

“I will come and sit with everyone, InshAllah. We are going to start our campaigns and we will see each and every community living in Wajir,” he said.

Dr Fuje unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Wajir gubernatorial election, losing to incumbent Governor Ahmed Abdullahi.

The nomination, however, was not immediately accepted by all participants in the selection process.

In a statement, Ugas Sheikh Mohamed said he and his supporters would review the exercise before deciding on their next steps.

“Following extensive consultations and meetings with members of my camp, we have resolved to pause and reflect before taking any further steps. During this period, we shall carefully review the entire process from its inception to its conclusion,” he said.

He added that his team intended to lodge a formal appeal regarding the outcome but did not specify the grounds for the challenge. It was not immediately clear when the appeal would be submitted or how it would be handled by the selection committee.

Former minister Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi had not publicly commented on the nomination by Sunday evening.

People familiar with the matter said Elmi met close family members on Sunday and did not attend the ceremony at the Sultanates Headquarters. They said he was expected to communicate his political position after returning from a planned Umrah pilgrimage.

Separately, members of the Reer Aba Farah family held a closed-door meeting with Hassan Wehliye on Sunday to discuss political strategy, family unity and preparations for the 2027 election, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

With the Fai community now having selected its preferred gubernatorial candidate, attention is likely to shift to whether rival aspirants will rally behind Dr Fuje or pursue appeals and alternative political strategies as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.