Aljazeera journalist Mohamed Adow to run for Wajir South MP seat

Veteran journalist Mohamed Adow has quit media to join the murky world of politics to contest Wajir South parliamentary seat currently held by Mohamud Mohamed Sheikh.

Adow who believes his entrance into politics is a sacrifice to improve lives of the expansive constituency told The Standard there is need to take responsibility for the usage of resources to uplift people’s lives.

The immediate former Aljazeera journalist said he delayed joining politics in 2013 and 2017 despite being under immense pressure from locals. The delay, he disclosed, was because his media career was on an upward trajectory.

Adow decried the level of corruption and embezzlement of public funds in the county terming the vice as a form of self-marginalization adding that devolved funds if utilized well would have improved critical services such as water and health.

"Initially there was some form of comfort in blaming the national government for under development but that is no longer the case as resources are devolved at grassroots unfortunately with nothing to show," he said.

Adow said if elected he will push for re-opening of the Somalia-Kenya border so as to improve the economies of the villages near the border areas.

The reopening of the border the aspirant noted will help the government get the much-needed revenue. The border was officially closed in 2015 following increased attacks by Al Shabab militants.

according to Adow, the reopening will also encourage the Africa Union’s intra-trade where it encourages African nations to do business amongst themselves.

"My entrance into politics is to offer leadership, find solutions to issues that bedevil our people, its unfortunate that today people are lacking access to clean water,” he said during an interview in Garissa town yesterday.

On negotiated democracy where clan elders pick candidates, Adow observed that the approach had encouraged nepotism and endorsement of wrong leaders for the people.

Mohamed Adow started his media career as a Garissa correspondent for Daily Nation in 1996, he later joined British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Nairobi and Ethiopia as a World Service Correspondent.

In 2006, he joined Qatar based Al Jazeera as Africa Correspondent before he was transferred to Doha as a World correspondent in Africa and the Middle East and Europe in 2017 for the same media house.

Some of the events he covered include fighting Isil, Boko Haram, in Nigeria,  Al-Qaeda, the fight in Yemen as well Syria crisis among major world events.