The Ajuran clan in Garissa elect new leadership, seek better representation in county allocations

GARISSA—The Ajuran clan in Garissa County has a new leadership. At a colourful event attended by sectin of county leaders on Friday, Mohamed Ali Abdi alias “Sugow” [picured above] was coronated as the clan’s chairman, replacing Mohamud Ardon. Ardon will now serve as the clan’s vice chairman.

In his remarks, the chairman blasted the Governor Nathif Jama of sidelining the community, saying the county chief hadn’t lived up to his campaign promise.

“I led the clan in supporting him during the 2022 elections. It appears that Governor Nathif has forgotten the people who stood with him when he needed our support the most,” the new chairman noted.

“But all is not lost. We have three more years to undo everything that went wrong the past two years,” he added.

Former Garissa Governor Ali Korane, who did not attend the event in person, sent emissaries who conveyed his message of well-being and support for the new leadership.

Garissa County Assembly Majority Leader Mohamed Aboo at the function.

The coronation event was attended by by the Garissa Assembly Majority Leader Mohamed Aboo, Sankuri MCA Abdirahman Ali and his Dertu counterpart Aden Hassan, Nominated MCA Timira Bishar as well as representatives from professional groups and religious leaders.

“The Ajuran clan is a vital part of the larger population of Garissa County,” said MCA Mohamed Aboo.

“Ajurans are not guests here (Garissa County), and we shall challenge the governor to honour his side of the pre-election campaign, ” Sankuri MCA assured.

The new leadership of the clan has reiterated the importance of unity and justice vowing to stand together and demand their rights as one of the key demographic population inhabiting the county.

“The coronation of Sultan Mohamed Ali Abdi will definitely unify the community, give a solid bargaining power as far as national and the county politics is concerned,” noted Muhidin Ibrahim alias ‘Giggs Yule Moja‘, a youthful opinion leader.

He added: “It will also give the community the leeway to lobby for their fair share of the resources in both levels of the government.”

The Ajuran clan is one of the largest in Nothern Kenya with a vast, arable land in Wajir County. They most live in Wajir North and West.

Section of Garissa County leaders at the coronation event

      The Ajuran Sultanate

Ajuran Sultanate ruled over large parts of the Horn of Africa between the 13th and late 17th centuries. Through a strong centralized administration and an aggressive military stance toward invaders, it successfully resisted an Oromo invasion (a series of expansions in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Oromo people from parts of Kenya and Somalia to Ethiopia) from the west and a Portuguese incursion from the east during the Gaal Madow and the Ajuran-Portuguese wars.

Trading routes dating from the ancient and early medieval periods of Somali maritime enterprise were strengthened or re-established, and foreign trade and commerce in the coastal provinces flourished, with ships sailing to and coming from many kingdoms and empires in East Asia, South Asia, Europe, the Near East, North Africa, and East Africa.

The Ajuran Sultanate left an extensive architectural legacy, being one of the major medieval Somali powers engaged in castle and fortress building. Many of the ruined fortifications dotting the landscapes of southern Somalia today are attributed to the Ajuran Sultanate’s engineers.

During the Ajuran period, many regions and people in the southern part of the Horn of Africa converted to Islam because of the theocratic nature of the government.

The royal family, the House of Garen, expanded its territories and established its hegemonic rule through a skilful combination of warfare, trade linkages, and alliances.