[Mandera Governor Ali Roba addresses the press at his residence in Mandera Town. Roba defied the negotiated democracy to win the Mandera gubernatorial seat.] Photo/nation.co.ke]Mandera Governor Ali Roba has said that culture is discouraging many good leaders in North Eastern to vie for political seats.
Roba said that many people in the region uphold cultural practices and the Council of Elders are failing to include qualified people in the list of preferred candidates to seek elective positions in elections.
Roba defied the Garre Council of Elders which barred him together with 24 other elected leaders from vying in the General Elections.
The governor said the decision was outdated adding that the power to elect leaders rests with the people and not the elders.
Those who opposed the negotiated democracy said it would make it impossible for minority to lead and that leaders should be left to compete based on their manifestos.
“Negotiated democracy is an idea whose time has passed, in modern democracy a leader should be elected based on performance and leadership style with respect to needs of the population,” Roba said as quoted by the Star.
“We cannot dismiss good leaders for cultural practice and if we do so, people are going to misuse the elective posts as they will be accumulating wealth for the five years they are in office, knowing they do not have a second chance,”