Fomer Garissa MP and two times Moi cabinet member says he’s considering a comeback in 2022

Hussein Maalim alias Hussein Maendeleo. The former Dujis MP said he miss politics. Photo/ CREDIT

GARISSA—Long serving Garissa politician who went missing from the political scene for over a decade hints that he may launch a comeback to the local politics again.

Hussein Maalim alias Hussein Maendeleo who served in the Moi cabinet for two decades said he will not vie in the 2017 elections, but can’t rule out returning to clinch his former glory. Hussein served as the Minister of State in the office of the president during KANU era and was the first Somali in Kenya to join the cabinet in 1983.

“But I can’t rule out coming back to elective politics in future,” Hussein told BBC Somali while discussing the effect of negotiated democracy in North Eastern Kenya.

He termed the negotiated democracy “a backward tradition”, saying it does not represent the views of the majority. He noted that the majority of the voters are aged 19-45 years yet their input is least considered.

“When a minority section of the community decides for the majority, then where is the democracy there?” the veteran politician asked.

He called on the voters to make up their mind and elect a leader of their choice.

“We should not imitate the type of democracy we have in Somalia. We need to emulate the type of democracy we have in the developed countries,’ he urged.

“Negotiated democracy tampers with the quality of leadership we have because it not an idea by the majority,” Mr Hussein explained.

Asked if he miss politics and the trappings of power, Maendeleo said,”It’s inevitable that anyone will miss that.”