Governor Ahmed Abdullahi speaking in Garissa town on 18th of October.

The Wajir senatorial race is shaping up as a major political contest ahead of next year's elections, with prominent figures positioning themselves for the seat.

Senator Abass Sheikh Mohamed will be defending his seat. He will face competition from Governor Ahmed Abdullahi and former Senator Abdirahman Hassan who want to reclaim the seat.

Although Governor Abdullahi is yet to formally declare his candidature, his political allies have suggested he is preparing to join the race, setting the stage for a contest involving some of Wajir's most influential political figures.

The emerging contest is expected to be shaped by candidates' political networks, clan dynamics, party alliances and negotiations over the distribution of other elective positions, particularly the governorship and Women Representative seats.

Wajir's political landscape is largely dominated by three major clans: the Degodia, Ajuran and Ogaden, whose political influence and geographical distribution are likely to feature in the contest.

Senator Abass Sheikh comes from the Masare sub-clan of the Degodia, while Governor Abdullahi hails from the Mantaan sub-clan, also of the Degodia community.

Abdirahman comes from the Ogaden community, which has a significant presence in Wajir South, placing him in a different political bloc as alliances and negotiations gather momentum.

The Degodia are predominantly found in Tarbaj, Wajir East, Wajir West and Eldas constituencies, while the Ajuran have a strong presence in Wajir North.

This geographical and clan distribution makes coalition-building an important factor, with aspirants expected to seek partnerships beyond their traditional political bases to assemble winning electoral formations.

The governorship race is also expected to influence the Senate contest, with alliances between gubernatorial aspirants and candidates seeking the Senate and Women Representative positions potentially shaping the competing political camps.

Governor Abdullahi's possible entry into the Senate race has attracted particular attention, with his allies increasingly presenting him as a contender for the seat.

The clearest indication of his political intentions emerged on October 18 during an ODM rally in Garissa, where County ODM chairman Hassan Jofle publicly declared that the governor would seek the senatorial seat.

Jofle said ODM was keen to consolidate its political influence in Wajir by increasing the number of elective seats it controls in the 2027 elections, citing the party's performance in the last elections.

“Wajir is an ODM zone, and we proved that in the last general election when we swept the majority of the seats. We won the governor, Women Representative and parliamentary seats in Wajir South and Wajir West, as well as the majority of the MCAs,” he said.

“We want to double those numbers in 2027 and my governor here, a staunch ODM member, will lead the race by clinching the Senate seat,” Jofle said.

The governor, however, has remained measured about his political ambitions, maintaining that he will communicate his next move at the appropriate time.

Speaking during this year's Mashujaa Day celebrations in Korondile, Wajir North, Abdullahi said he would soon announce the elective position he intends to pursue in the 2027 elections.

He was, however, quick to emphasise that his immediate political priority was to campaign for President William Ruto's re-election, signaling his intention to remain active in the national political contest.

In declaring his interest to run, Abdirahman said the prevailing political circumstances presented an opportunity he was determined to seize.

The former senator, who served as Wajir's first representative in the Senate, said he was ready to return to the chamber and represent the county's interests.

He announced his candidature during a resource mobilisation event for Markaz Al-Imam Shafii Madrasa in Tarbaj constituency.

“I think this is the perfect opportunity for me to declare my candidature. Any serious politician would want to take advantage of an available opportunity,” he said.

“I want to officially declare today that I will be vying for the Wajir senatorial seat in the forthcoming general election.”

As the 2027 elections draw closer, attention will turn to how the major political camps negotiate their line-ups and whether the gubernatorial contest produces alliances that reshape the battle for the Senate.

Wajir Senator Abass Sheikh Mohamed speaking at a recent function.

Former Wajir senator Abdirahman Hassan speaking on Saturday last week.