Ali Ibrahim Roba has risen through ranks to become an embodiment of political inspiration in Kenya, and now a power broker in the North-eastern part of Kenya. He served as Mandera governor for two terms before clinching the senatorial seat on August 9.
Unknown to many, Roba is an accomplished pilot with an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and a Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Approved Instrument Rating Examiner, A Training and Check pilot as well as Ground Instructor of various aviation subjects.
The politician worked for DAC Aviation International, a multinational company between 2002 and 2012, at a time when he became the Director of Flight Operations (DFO) in nine countries.
He was later appointed chief pilot in 2008 and contributed to the overall compliance levels of DAC Aviation (EA) Limited by playing instrumental roles in the achievement of an ‘A’ systems and operational audit rating by DAC Aviation International.
DAC specializes in turnkey contracts in the Aviation industry especially in the area of Humanitarian Relief operations with various clients among them the World Food Programme (WFP), European Union (EU), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Tullow Oil, Shell International and Petrol Energy International.
Among the many colleges he attended for various qualifications is the Kenya Utalii College, Delta Qualiflight School of Aviation in Fort Worth Texas, and Kenya School of Flying.
Roba is an alumni of the University of Nairobi where he pursued his undergraduate and post graduate studies, specializing in marketing and strategic management.
At the age of 48, Capt. Roba hit the headlines this weekend when he ditched Azimio coalition to join Kenya Kwanza in the aftermath of August 9 General election in which William Ruto was declared president-elect.
Along with a host of leaders from Mandera, they were welcomed into the camp by Ruto at his Karen residence on Thursday, August 18.
"We salute the United Democratic Movement (UDM) leadership for abandoning Azimio La Umoja and joining Kenya Kwanza," Ruto stated.
Roba wrote to the Azimio National Council, which is chaired by the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, complaining that they had not been consulted when the council was being constituted.
"We did not participate in the exercise of the nomination of the officials and we register our dismay and exclusion from the same. Such appointments should be consultative, democratic and transparent," the UDM letter read in part.
Ruto revealed that he was forced to form UDM because of the harsh treatment he received from the the ruling party KANU.
