While its instructively quite early to make any predictions, there are salient points that could shed light as to who could emerge the victor.
Farah Maalim, the former MP for Lagdera is a respected son of the North East and so is Majority Leader, Aden Duale. This will go down as one of the most tightly fought political battles.
Although Maalim has been in politics since 1992, Duale has navigated the shark infested political waters quite well for a man of his ilk.
Duale has been in politics since 2007. In a span of eight years, his political star has risen and he is now effectively third in command bestrides the North Eastern political scene like a colossus.
Give it to him, some people may not like his abrasive style, but with that comes a sense of straight forwadness and straight talking, a rare gene in the increasingly unpredictable political brass that exits in Kenya, with politicians increasingly becoming expedient and shifty as the situation demands.
Although Farah Maalim is a straight shooter like Aden bare, but alas his sobriety and political acumen has withered in the political wilderness of the official opposition, CORD.
Sometimes its the place and position that matters. As far as Garissa Township is concerned, Duale has a vast labyrinth of political networks and has the agility and political smoothness to withstand Farah's onslaught.
He comes from a business family and has the connections, channels and arteries that would give him the methods to smother the efforts of Maalim.
Removing an incubent MP like Hon. Aden Bare Duale, a jubilee top honcho could prove a tall order for Maalim.