Deputy President William Ruto is often mentioned as being among the few Kenyan leaders who have never lost a political contest, but he was once upstaged by one-term MP Abdikadir Mohammed.
In the 11th Parliament, Abdikadir, then Mandera Central MP, defeated Ruto in the race to chair the powerful Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution, the National Assembly's voice in the process that led to adoption of the 2010 constitution.
At the time, Ruto had been proposed by Raila Odinga’s ODM to chair the crucial committee while Abdikadir, a Safina MP, was fronted by former President Mwai Kibaki’s PNU.
Legislators from both sides of the divide closed ranks and chose to back Abdikadir due to his legal prowess, freshness and affability.
In 2013, he became the first MP to announce his retirement from politics after serving just one term in Parliament.
[caption caption="Abdikadir Mohammed"]
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He went on to serve as legal adviser to retired President Kibaki in the transition period, as the new constitution adopted a pure presidential system from the quasi-parliamentary one, bringing with it a lot of changes in the way the President works.
When President Uhuru Kenyatta took office, Abdikadir was named as his senior adviser on Legislation and Constitutional Affairs.
A Harvard-trained lawyer, he was most recently in the news after he rejected an offer from President Kenyatta to serve as Kenya's Ambassador to South Korea.
Abdikadir reportedly turned down the offer for personal reasons, citing his young family, career mismatch fears and a passion for the private sector.
When contacted by The Standard, however, he only stated: “I am afraid I cannot comment on the matter of my nomination suffice to say I am most grateful to His Excellency for the trust he has bestowed on me now and in the past.”
[caption caption="DP William Ruto"]
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