Hassan Kulow Maalim, the Member of Parliament for Banissa Constituency in Mandera county, attracted a backlash after unveiling his multi-million campaign motorcade.
The lawmaker, who won the seat in 2017 on a Economic Freedom Party (EFP) ticket, is seeking reelection in the August 9 polls.
Adan Haji Yussuf, Mandera West Member of Parliament, shared the photos on Thursday, May 19, with the caption: “Mandera here we come!”
The photos of the entourage comprising a black Toyota Landcruiser prado, and nearly 15 Landcruiser Hardtops sparked an uproar, with debate ranging from the welfare of Mandera residents to the theatrics pulled and budgets spent by aspirants seeking elective seats.
“Wow, well-selected vehicles to go and hunt votes from people who have no water, face hunger, poor health care system.
“They get the votes and disappear to Nairobi and go back after five years. I wish they drilled boreholes, how I wish,” one Moses wrote.
“I thought you were coming with borehole drillers for your people to get water or even nurses for those buildings acting as hospitals, but all I can see are your branded vehicles,” a tweep, Dapper Brother, added.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, residents of Mandera town confronted the entourage, shouting that the MP would lose the August 9 polls.
“Utaenda nyumbani! Ngoja uone! (Wait and see us sending you home!” a section of protesting residents shouted.
Kulow Maalim Hassan is a Kenyan politician and the current Member of Parliament for Banissa Constituency in Mandera County. He has been a member of The Economic Freedom Party (EFP) since 2017.
Kulow Hassan studied for his O level exams at the Mandera Secondary School and undertook a Diploma in Education course at Siriba College in Maseno prior to enrolling at the Kenyatta University to pursue a Bachelor of Education, and later a Master of Arts in Philosophy.
He worked as a teacher at Wajir High School and Sheikh Ali School Rhamu in Mandera and lectured at Kigari Teachers Training College in Embu before joining politics in 2017.
Mandera is one of the counties being ravaged by drought and famine. Water availability is below normal and pastoralists are also grappling with poor pasture.
The government in 2020, 2021 and 2022, sent relief food to the county. Every household received 12kgs of rice, 6kgs of maize flour and 3 liters of vegetable cooking oil in October 2021.
Mandera county agriculture department has also been training farmers on drought mitigation as well as crops to grow in the case of minimal rains.
