NAIROBI— The Banisa parliamentary by-election, scheduled for November 27, attracted several aspirants, including Jackson Mwirigi—the only non-resident candidate. However, he was later forced to withdraw from the race amid intense pressure from local clan elders and politicians.
Mwirigi’s exit was the most dramatic of the campaign. The teacher-turned-aspirant had to flee Banisa Constituency under heavy police escort, abandoning his ambitious dream in the process.
A professional teacher and the sole non-resident vying for the seat, Mwirigi aimed to challenge Kenya’s electoral laws which allow any Kenyan to contest for a position anywhere in the country.
“However, it never worked for me. The ground turned very hostile, and I received threats on my life,” he recounted.
Mwirigi had traveled approximately 1,002 kilometers from Nairobi to Banisa, determined to persuade voters that he was the right choice to represent them in the National Assembly.
“I arrived in Banisa town on a Sunday, and on Monday, I was out on the streets collecting signatures to get cleared to run. I managed 27 signatures on the first day—a clear sign that the electorate were willing to support me,” he said.
But as news of his budding candidacy spread, local clan elders quickly intervened.
“The elders came for me, and everything changed. They threatened to harm me for seeking a seat in a foreign land. They felt I was a stranger and an outsider eyeing a position that belongs to them. One of the elders even threatened to beat me up,” Mwirigi revealed.
The very next day he was summoned to a local police station where the elders had fabricated charges against him.
“They claimed I was a fake Kenya Power staff member collecting data from locals and demanded that the police take action against me,” he added.
Realizing the severity of the danger to his life, the police urged Mwirigi to flee immediately and provided an armed escort to ensure his safety. “Police in Banisa escorted me all the way to Takaba in Mandera West, where I boarded a bus to Moyale. My plan to run for the Banisa seat came to an abrupt end on September 18, 2025,” he recounted.
Mwirigi attributes his failed bid to the iron grip that clan elders hold over local politics in Mandera County. “The reception from the locals was good. If I could collect 27 signatures on the first day, it means getting the 1,000 required wouldn’t have been that difficult,” he insisted.
Had he succeeded, this would have marked Mwirigi’s second attempt at elective office as an independent candidate. In 2022, he ran for the Kileleshwa Ward seat but lost to Robert Alai.
Under Kenyan electoral laws, independent candidates must obtain a clearance certificate from the Registrar of Political Parties and secure endorsements from at least 1,000 registered voters. They also need to submit a duly filled Form of Intention to Contest, along with a proposed election symbol.
Additionally, the law requires candidates to establish and maintain a functioning campaign office—available for inspection by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)—at least 45 days before the polls. The office’s physical address must be communicated to the commission in advance.
“I was in Banisa, fully prepared to meet all these IEBC requirements, but the threats and intimidation conspired against me,” Mwirigi lamented.
Not all residents approved of the elders’ heavy-handed tactics. Adan Hassan, a Banisa local, condemned the incident as a symptom of the area’s entrenched tribal culture.
“Our people would rather have their own vying elsewhere but not allow an outsider to contest here. We have Junet Mohammed from Mandera serving as an MP in Luo Nyanza, and many Mandera residents have been nominated to county assemblies across the country—yet we can’t extend the same opportunity to non-Somalis. Our elders should have allowed Mwirigi to run; it would have been a step toward building cohesion, political tolerance, and maturity,” Hassan argued.
Hussein Abdullahi echoed similar sentiments, linking the episode to a broader political maneuver by local leaders aiming to secure an unopposed win for the ruling party’s candidate, Ahmed Maalim Hassan.
The Banisa seat became vacant following the death of incumbent MP Kullow Maalim Hassan in March 2023—Ahmed’s elder brother and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nominee in the upcoming by-election.
