Lead image for To highest bidders: Inside negotiated democracy in the North.
For decades, politics in North Eastern Kenya has often been shaped by clan calculations, political patronage, negotiated arrangements, and the influence of the powerful council of elders.
Politicians seeking any political position, be it a member of the county assembly (MCA), an MP, a woman representative, a senator or the governor, must first win the goodwill of his or her clan elders before proceeding with any kind of campaign to woo the masses to vote for him or her.
Those who defy the council of elders’ decision end up losing elections in most cases against those nominated and fronted by the elders.
“It is never that easy to manoeuvre politically in this region without getting a nomination from the council of elders. One is most likely to lose an election if he or she ignores engaging these elders at the onset of his or her political journey,” Mr Hassan Garad, a resident of Garissa, said.
Despite playing a critical role in local politics, several groups of elders representing different clans in the region denied charging nomination fees or depending on politics financially to run their affairs.
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But some politicians admitted spending a fortune on the council of elders with the hope of winning an endorsement.
Mr Hassan Hache, who vied for the Mandera Senatorial position in 2022 and lost to Ali Roba, says money is involved in the nomination of candidates at the council of elders but is never paid directly.