ABDIRASHID: The scattered ballot and silenced region: “Voices from the Margins”

Hon Mustafa ABDIRASHID, Deputy Speaker and MCA for Iftin Ward, Garissa Township constituency/COURTESY 

In every election cycle, North Eastern Kenya walks into the ballot box with a fractured soul and walks out with weakened bargaining power.

While the rest of the country aligns strategically to secure a place at the national table, we in Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa continue to cast our votes in pieces, hoping to assemble development from broken promises.

Historically, Mandera and Garissa have aligned with the government of the day, embracing the belief that power attracts resources.

Wajir, on the other hand, has always been more complicated part government, part opposition.   

In today’s context, the map is even more fragmented: Garissa Central and South remain pro-government, while communities in the north of Garissa and much of Wajir lean toward the opposition.

This isn’t just a reflection of political diversity it’s a portrait of disunity. And disunity, in Kenya’s political arithmetic, equals irrelevance.

Take a look at other regions. Rift Valley, for example, often moves as one block. 

During the last three general elections, it has delivered millions of votes to one party or one candidate giving the region massive political capital and bargaining power.

As a result, Rift Valley has consistently produced Presidents and Deputies, influential Cabinet Secretaries, and key positions in Parliament and state agencies.

Their unity ensures that no matter who wins, their interests are protected and their voice is heard.

Central Kenya is another case in point. Though it occasionally experiences internal wrangles, it has historically voted as a unit, especially when one of their own is in the race.

This solidarity has made the region nearly indispensable in Kenyan politics. They don’t just vote; they negotiate as a bloc, and their loyalty is rewarded with projects, positions, and policy attention.

Now compare that with North Eastern.

We may turn out in good numbers, but our votes are scattered across parties, clans, and personal loyalties.

One section votes with the government hoping to attract development; another votes opposition to protest historical neglect.

The result? Minimal influence in national decisions. Token appointments. Sporadic development. And a region still battling basic needs like water, security, healthcare, and quality education.

Even worse, our fragmented approach allows national parties to manipulate us—playing one clan against another, offering promises to one group while ignoring the rest, and securing our support cheaply because they know we are not organised.

But what if we changed the script?

What if Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa stood behind one regional party or coalition not to please any regime, but to negotiate on our own terms? What if we replaced loyalty with strategy, and emotion with interest?

Such unity would give us the power to say: “Here are our numbers. Here are our demands. Let’s talk.”

This isn’t about being in government or in opposition. It’s about being politically organized and regionally deliberate.

It’s about securing a future where North Eastern doesn’t rely on handouts, but instead commands respect and resources.

Of course, unity is not easy.

The region is diverse—ethnically, culturally, and politically. Clans and sub-clans have long histories of rivalry, and politicians have mastered the art of exploiting these differences. But the time has come to ask: What have these divisions really given us?

The truth is, they’ve given us underdevelopment, missed opportunities, and the humiliation of always being spectators in national affairs.

We cannot continue blaming Nairobi while we vote ourselves into silence.

The first act of empowerment is unity. And unity begins at the ballot box.

We must learn from regions that have turned their votes into power, their unity into leverage, and their solidarity into prosperity. If they can do it, why not us?

The North Eastern region is not poor in numbers. It is poor in strategic alignment. That is our weakness and our potential strength.

Because in this country, a scattered ballot is a wasted opportunity and unity is the only real currency in politics.

The writer is the Deputy Speaker and MCA for Iftin Ward, Garissa Township constituency. He is also a columnist and playwright.