Ibrahim Hussein drops out of Batalu MCA race

A main candidate in the upcoming Batalu Ward by-election has withdrawn from the race.

Ibrahim Noor Hussein of the Party of Development and Reforms (PDR) party, said he quit the race for peace's sake.

Mr Hussein whose election victory was overturned by court said he is supporting Jubilee candidate Idhow Adan Ibrahim.

"I wish to state that I have officially withdrawn from the Batalu Ward race for the interest of peace, community and in support of the handshake," he said on Saturday.

He added: “I will team up with my brother Adan who is the current front runner for the seat to preach peace and support him fully in the quest to recapture the seat."

Mr Hussein further said that the country had set a precedence through the Building Bridges Initiative adding that it was wise to follow suit.

Mr Ibrahim thanked his counterpart for stepping down in his favour terming it as a first step towards achieving peace between the communities in Buna and Batalu which have been embroiled in conflicts in the past.

"I wish to applaud Hussein for the bold step he has taken which I believe will help achieve peace between our communities," he said.

The PDR candidate had been declared winner by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) in the August 2017 elections after garnering 1,099 votes, but ODM's Hassan Jimal Abdi challenged his win.

The petitioner, Mr Abdi, who emerged second in the contest with 946 votes successfully challenged Mr Hussein's win at a Wajir court that nullified the election early last year and ordered for a mini-poll.

 However, Mr Hussein challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Kenya which both upheld the magistrate’s decision to annul his election.

The move by the PDR candidate now leaves three candidates in the race. They are Ford Kenya's Gedow Adan Hassan, Hassan Jimal Abdi of ODM and Mr Ibrahim of the Jubilee Party.

The PDR is an affiliate of the Jubilee party.