Young, classy and educated, meet Kenya’s youngest senate hopefuls struggling for acceptance

By: Kevin Kyalo  

NAIROBI—Meet 25-year old Ahmed Salah alias Ahmed Zidan and Mahat Ali, 25, from Garissa and Wajir counties respectively.

At first, they seem naive and discussing politics with them seems like the last subject you will think about.

Ahmed Salah is from Garissa county and he is set to take on veteran political figure and former Defense cabinet minister Yusuf Haji. To Mahat, his candidature is slight different from that of Ahmed—he has no defender after the incumbent, Abdirahman Ali resigned from active politics.

“The people in Wajir are supportive and are beginning to accept a young man to represent them at the senate,” Mahat said whem I asked whether or not the voters are entertaining his candidature.

”Definitely acceptance is something that is build,” Ahmed Salah replied when asked the same question.

In Nandi County, Kiplagat was elected senator while he was 28-years old.

“I was elected senator at the age of 28. Initially when I expressed interest in running for senator, I lied about my age for purposes of increasing my chances of winning. The senatorial position is such a big leadership rank and you know I hail from a very conservative community,” he said.

VIDEO: Here the full interview.