First Female MCA in Wajir: How Dahaba Yusuf Broke 60-Year Political Barrier
Banane MCA Dahaba Yusuf during an interview in Wajir town on February 26, 2025. She is one of the only two female ward representatives in Wajir County currently. She advocates women's leadership and rights.
What you need to know:
- Dahaba Yusuf made history as one of Wajir's first elected female MCAs after convincing traditional elders to endorse her candidacy despite strong cultural resistance.
- She spent Sh19 million on her groundbreaking campaign, facing discrimination and family division while proving that women can effectively lead in the conservative North-eastern region.
- She now works to empower women through awareness campaigns and economic projects in Wajir County.
"I decided to do the unthinkable by offering myself for an elective seat. I defied the odds and won," says Dahaba Yusuf, her voice carrying the quiet confidence of someone who has challenged an entire cultural system—and prevailed.
In a region where women's leadership has been historically dismissed as incompatible with religious and cultural values, Dahaba's journey from a supportive cousin on the campaign trail to becoming one of Wajir County's first elected female ward representatives marks a profound shift in Kenya's political landscape.
What began innocently in the early 2000s as family loyalty—helping her cousin campaign for political office—unexpectedly planted the seeds for her own political ambitions. It wasn't until the 2013 election, shortly after Kenya's 2010 Constitution was promulgated, that Dahaba discovered her passion for politics whilst working with the Cord presidential campaign.
Her first assignment ahead of the election was to convince the elders to endorse her bid. In the entire Northeastern region, elders wield immense power and play a critical role in deciding who gets elected. Dahaba says her development record as nominated MCA worked in her favour as the elders eventually gave her the greenlight to contest. The endorsement by the elders was a major boost as their word is considered final.
“I convinced the elders to pick me. I showed them my development track record and they agreed. If they had not picked me, that would have been the end of my leadership journey. The men in the race defied the decision of the elders and ran against me, they gave me a difficult time.”
In the race, she was the only female battling with four men. Her closest competitor was a cousin, who, she notes, brought a lot of division and hatred in the family. However, she soldiered on and convinced the residents that she was the best-suited for the job.
Her campaign was not a bed of roses as she was faced with myriad challenges. She lists the high cost of mounting a formidable campaign and being a woman candidate as some.
“Mounting a serious campaign is expensive, more so in an area that is vast like my ward. I incurred huge debts that I am still repaying today. The campaign affected me financially so much as the ward is vast and requires a lot of resources to transverse. I have yet to recover financially. I spent about Sh19 million to campaign for the seat.”
Her early political experiences led to her nomination by the Wiper party as a member of the inaugural Wajir County Assembly. Lightning struck twice when she secured a second nomination after the 2017 General Election. But by 2022, Dahaba was ready for a more daring move—she set her sights on an elected position in Banane Ward.
"It was a baptism of fire," she recalls of her debut in elective politics. The first and perhaps most formidable challenge was convincing her patriarchal community that a woman could lead effectively.
"The Somali community does not recognise women leadership, attributing that to their religion, Islam," she explains, highlighting the cultural barriers that have long kept women from political participation in North-eastern Kenya.
UN Women Country Representative Antonia N'Gabala-Sodonon notes that such cultural obstacles are precisely why targeted interventions are necessary.
Women's leadership is crucial to inclusive governance and sustainable development," she says.
"Advancing women's political participation requires a multifaceted approach that includes addressing legal and structural barriers, capacity building, amplifying the visibility of women leaders, gender-sensitive media coverage, and engagement of male allies to drive a positive shift in societal norms."
In a region where council of elders wield immense power and effectively determine electoral outcomes, Dahaba's first assignment was securing their endorsement—no small feat for a female candidate. Fortunately, her development record as a nominated MCA worked in her favour.
"I convinced the elders to pick me. I showed them my development track record and they agreed," she says. "If they had not picked me, that would have been the end of my leadership journey. The men in the race defied the decision of the elders and ran against me, they gave me a difficult time."
The practice of negotiated democracy remains one of the principal obstacles to women's political participation in North-eastern Kenya. Women are excluded from the council of elders that typically decides candidate endorsements prior to elections, and those endorsed are predominantly men. This systemic exclusion discourages many women from pursuing positions beyond the woman representative seat specifically reserved for them.
As the lone woman among five candidates, Dahaba faced particularly fierce opposition from her own cousin, creating painful divisions within her family. Nevertheless, she persevered, focusing on convincing residents that she was the most qualified candidate for the position.
Batali MCA Adannur Ibrahim believes Kenya has sufficient legislation supporting women's political participation but emphasises that women must actively pursue political positions. "Even though women must be supported, they also need to show their interest in politics by running for seats," he says.
Ibrahim criticises the current nomination process, suggesting that parties should consider nominating women who contest elections and place second.
"Kenya is not badly off in supporting women political participation. I always support in the assembly any business that supports women and girls," he adds.
Inclusive governance
The campaign trail proved exceptionally challenging for Dahaba.
"Mounting a serious campaign is expensive, more so in an area that is vast like my ward," she notes.
"I incurred huge debts that I am still repaying today. The campaign affected me financially so much as the ward is vast and requires a lot of resources to traverse. I have yet to recover financially. I spent about Sh19 million to campaign for the seat."
Janine Cocker, Head of Development Cooperation at the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi, acknowledges this economic barrier to women's political participation.
"We need to get rid of barriers that are making women shy from leadership positions. The cost of election needs to be dealt with as it impacts on them. Women also need to be made economically viable through various interventions."
To fund her ambitious campaign, Dahaba relied on personal savings and organised fundraisers among relatives, friends, and well-wishers. Beyond financial hurdles, she endured gender discrimination, weathering abuse and insults while maintaining her resolve.
In preparation for the 2022 election, UN Women launched an initiative to address these very challenges through a project called "Expanding Spaces for Women Political Participation in Kenya." Led by Uraia Trust with UN Women's support and funded by Global Affairs Canada, the project aims to strengthen women leaders' capacities and create an enabling environment for women's effective engagement in politics and governance.
Currently being implemented in Wajir and six other counties — Samburu, Kisii, Homa Bay, Embu, Kericho, and Kajiado — the project also targets men through capacity-building programmes designed to raise awareness about the importance of women's leadership. These efforts are crucial in transforming mind-sets and perceptions in patriarchal communities that have historically resisted women's leadership.
Despite the obstacles she faced, Dahaba encourages other women not to be deterred.
"Women should not fear. They should come out and run for political seats," she urges, though acknowledging that greater awareness is needed to help women understand their equal right to political participation.
Dahaba calls on non-governmental organisations to collaborate with women candidates to help dismantle the barriers to political participation that continue to exist.
Janine expresses satisfaction with the impact of the UN Women project, which contributed to more women being elected in 2022 than in 2017.
"There has been an increase in women leadership both at the national and county levels, which is commendable. A robust teamwork helped yield these wonderful results. Women need to be at the decision-making table," she says, adding that the project also promoted peaceful elections with no reported cases of violence.
Dahaba's election in 2022, alongside one other woman, marked a historic first for Wajir County, which had never had a female MCA since Kenya's independence. Across the entire northern region—encompassing Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, and Marsabit counties—there are only three elected women MCAs: two from Wajir and one from Isiolo.
With the 2027 elections on the horizon, her political journey is far from over. She hints at ambitions for a more prominent position, despite the ongoing challenges she faces in the county assembly.
"It is hard. As women MCAs, we do not get the necessary support from our male colleagues. They do not support bills that have a positive impact on women. They view empowerment of women as a threat to them," she reveals.
Nevertheless, she has embraced leadership roles within the assembly, chairing the Labour committee and serving as a member of both the Finance and Trade committees.
Her commitment to women's empowerment extends beyond politics. Dahaba regularly conducts awareness campaigns to educate women about their constitutional rights and has initiated several economic empowerment projects aimed at improving women's living standards.
With support from Global Affairs Canada, UN Women is working to strengthen women's political engagement by addressing barriers and enhancing their capacity to lead and influence decision-making. This support comes at a critical time as Kenya prepares for the next election cycle.
Looking ahead to the 2027 election, Janine emphasises the importance of portraying women as formidable candidates.
"As the country gets closer to the 2027 election, there is a need to project women as formidable," she notes.
As for Dahaba, she advocates for the creation of a special women's fund by Wajir County to support projects aimed at empowering women and girls. Her message to fellow women with leadership aspirations is clear: step forward and contest for positions in the upcoming 2027 elections.
In a region where tradition has long dictated that women remain in the background, Dahaba stands as living proof that barriers can be broken, and a new political reality is possible—one where women's voices are not just heard but lead.