Wajir Senator Olow retires from active politics

Outgoing Wajir County senator Abdirahman Ali Hassan Olow {Courtesy}

By: Abdikadir Ukash

WAJIR—The senator of Wajir County Abdirahman Ali Hassan alias Olow has retired from active politics.

Speaking to Kulan Post, Olow said his decision was not informed by pressure or by political uncertainty.

“I am not leaving politics because of fear of not retaining my seat, I am retiring from elective politics because I have served for long and I felt it was time to mind my business,” Olow said at the sidelines of a meeting on Saturday at Shaletee Mixed Secondary School in Wajir where the Ogaden Supreme Council held a meeting to publicize their preferred candidates for the position of the governor and women representative.

Ahmed Muhumed was nominated by the community to take on Governor Ahmed Abdullahi while Fatuma Gedi Ali was selected as the preferred women representative.

It is not clear if Abdirahman Olow applied to the Ogaden Supreme Council to be nominated for the post of the governor but his resignation comes as a surprise.

“I think I am the only politician in Wajir who won elections in three consecutive General Elections,” Abdirahman noted. He added that he has served Wajir South and Wajir County to his best.

“I have worked for my people and it’s time to let other lead,” he said.

He extended his support to the next government of Wajir County. “I will support the next governments, both local and nationally, as long as they are working towards bettering the lives of the people,” Olow said.

Mr Abdirahman is not the first politician in Wajir to have retired from active politics. He was preceded by the serving Tarbaj member of parliament Mohamed Elmi mid last year.

“Politics does not pay much,” Elmi said.

Abdirahma  Ali was born in Wajir and attended Wajir Primary School and Wajir High School. He later joined the University of Nairobi where he graduated with Bachelor of Development Studies. In 1997, he contested but lost it to the current IGAD envoy to Somalia Mohamed Abdi Affey.

He was the country program coordinator for Oxfam from 1998 until his election to the parliament in 2002 as the member from Wajir South constituency.

He served as the assistant minister for Trade and Industry between 2005 and 2007 in the first term of Kibaki presidency.

Abdirahman attempted to be the first member of parliament from Wajir South to serve for two terms until his election was bitterly challenged by the his successor in the 2010 by-election Mohamud Sirat Dayow.

In his seven year stint as the area legislator, Senator Abdirahman built ten schools across Wajir South as well as implemented a number of water projects.