By The Weekly Vision Reporter
Garissa Senator Abdulkadir Mohamed Haji has issued a pointed warning to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, vowing to wipe out what remains of his political influence in Garissa County ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking at a public gathering in Garissa, the two-term senator branded Duale “the SHA man”, a reference to Duale’s oversight of the embattled Social Health Authority (SHA) as Health CS, and accused him of having no genuine stake in Garissa County beyond sowing division among its communities.
Political observers say the remarks mark an early salvo in what is shaping up to be a bruising contest for control of Garissa’s political future. Duale was Dujis MP from 2007 to 2022, and later served as Defence Cabinet Secretary before his appointment as Health CS in March 2025.
Haji, who took over the Garissa Senate seat in a 2021 by-election following the death of his father, the late Mohamed Yusuf Haji, has openly declared his intention to run for Garissa Governor in 2027. In recent months, he has been courting cross-clan support, notably securing backing from the influential Awliyahan community, a clan distinct from his own Samawadhal community, in a move analysts say could reshape alliances ahead of the gubernatorial race.
Clan alliances are widely expected to play a decisive role in the 2027 Garissa governorship contest, with other prospective aspirants reportedly including former Governor Ali Korane, former Principal Secretary Abdi Dubat, former Ijara MP Ibrahim Abass, WARMA chief executive Moulid Shurie, and former Lagdera MP Shidiye.
By labelling Duale “the SHA man,” Haji appears to be linking the CS to the SHA rollout, which has faced sustained public criticism over registration hurdles and access to healthcare cover since replacing the National Health Insurance Fund. Attaching that controversy to Duale’s name in Garissa may be a deliberate attempt to cast him as a national figure out of step with local priorities, rather than as a genuine contender for influence in the county.
For Garissa’s electorate, and for businesses and investors watching the county’s governance trajectory ahead of 2027, the emerging rivalry signals that the race for the top county seat will be contested not only on development records but on clan alliances and national political baggage.
