Women in Isiolo have received a major boost in their quest for political representation after Somali elders endorsed Zamzam Ismaili as the community’s sole candidate for the Isiolo North parliamentary seat ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The endorsement marks a significant moment in the county’s political history, giving a woman an opportunity to contest the seat in a political landscape that has traditionally been dominated by men.
Zamzam, who comes from the Isaaq clan, received the backing after elders and representatives of the 11 Somali clans in Isiolo County reached a negotiated agreement to rally behind her candidature.
As part of the agreement, Osman Shariff Awkay, who contested the Isiolo North seat in the 2022 General Election and had expressed interest in running again in 2027, agreed to step aside and support Zamzam.
The decision followed consultations involving male elders and women chairpersons representing the 11 Somali clans.
Zamzam had earlier this year been endorsed by her Isaaq clan before beginning engagements with the other Somali clans in the county to seek wider support for her bid.
She says she was born in Isiolo County and raised in neighbouring Samburu County, but considers Isiolo her first home.
Speaking during her endorsement, Zamzam said support from her home community was important for any politician seeking to pursue an elective position.
She said she would also seek the support of other communities in Isiolo, noting that every vote from residents across the county would matter to her.
Zamzam further called on residents to maintain peaceful coexistence and reject attempts to divide them along tribal or religious lines.
She promised to serve all communities in Isiolo North equally and pursue development for the constituency if elected.
Awkay, who had been preparing for a possible second attempt at the parliamentary seat, said he decided to withdraw after consultations with elders and women leaders from the 11 Somali clans.
He pledged to support Zamzam and respect the decision reached through the negotiated process.
Mzee Abdulkadir Shariff Abdullahi, the overall chairman of the 11 Somali clans, welcomed Awkay’s decision, saying the community had reached an agreement that would help consolidate its support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Mzee Shariff also pointed out that the Somali community had previously supported candidates from other communities seeking the Isiolo North seat.
He appealed to other communities in Isiolo to support Zamzam as she seeks to become the first woman from the Somali community to be given the community’s consolidated backing for the parliamentary seat.
The elders said a similar negotiated process could be used for other elective positions in the county where several members of the Somali community have expressed interest.
The development puts women’s political participation at the centre of the emerging 2027 political conversation in Isiolo, while also highlighting the continued influence of negotiated consensus in determining political candidates within the Somali community.
Zamzam’s endorsement does not determine the outcome of the 2027 election, but it gives her a platform to enter the Isiolo North parliamentary race with the backing of the Somali community’s negotiated process.
