Garissa governorship 2027 race hots up as Shurie maintains he is firmly in the race.

Sultan Dekow Maalim Sambul of the Abuduwaq clan speaks after endorsing Ali Korane as the sole candidate on July 22, 2025

The battle for Garissa’s top seat in 2027 is already shaping into one of the most bruising contests in the region’s political history.

At least five heavyweights have thrown their hats into the ring.

They are former Governor Ali Korane, Kenya’s consul general in Arusha Abdi Dubat, Water Resources Authority CEO Moulid Shurie, former Ijara MP Ibrahim Abaas and former Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye.

In July, the Abuduwaq council of elders endorsed Korane as its sole flagbearer, leaving Dubat and Shurie out in the cold.

But the two have dismissed the move, insisting they will battle it out at the ballot.

Dubat last month claimed the elders’ exercise was being hijacked by a clique “intent on imposing their will on the people”, saying it undermined negotiated democracy.

He recused himself from the process, claiming intimidation, propaganda and bias.

On Thursday, Shurie appeared before supporters at his residence, buoyed by fresh endorsement from a section of Abuduwaq clan members.

Defiant, he declared, “I am in the race to the end. Your support gives me the energy to soldier on up to the ballot. I won’t let you down.”

The Abuduwaq clan, made up of seven subclans—Rer Yahya, Rer Gulled, Rer Kassim, Rer Musa, Adhan Geri, Rer Mahat, Rer Harun and Rer Daud—now finds itself deeply divided.

Korane hails from Rer Yahya, while Dubat and Shurie come from Rer Kassim and Rer Gulled, respectively.

Analysts warn the split could replay the 2013 scenario, when current Governor Nathif Jama of the Auliyahan clan clinched victory after Korane and Shurie split their bloc.

Seeking to rally his base, Shurie urged his supporters to translate political chants into actual votes by registering with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

“If you don’t have a voter’s card, you cannot help me or even support the President’s second term bid,” he told them, urging those without IDs to secure them before registration begins.

 Abaas, already endorsed by his Samawadhal clan, has also pledged to go all the way. With alliances and seat-sharing negotiations still uncertain, Garissa looks set for a high-stakes contest that could redraw clan loyalties and reshape the county’s political future.

 Instant analysis

The Garissa governorship race is turning into a test of clan unity, negotiated democracy and political endurance.

The Abuduwaq council’s endorsement of Ali Korane has backfired, with Moulid Shurie and Abdi Dubat rejecting the process as biased and vowing to contest.

This mirrors 2013, when divisions within the clan handed victory to Nathif Jama, raising fears of a repeat scenario. Shurie’s latest show of defiance, backed by sections of his clan, signals a messy, drawn-out race.

With at least five strong contenders, the outcome may hinge less on elder endorsements and more on voter turnout, registration and shifting alliances.