North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood has opted to defend his seat as an independent candidate in next year’s General Election, despite his association with President William Ruto and overtures from political parties.
Dawood, who also ran as an independent candidate in the 2022 elections after quitting the Jubilee Party, said he had no intention of seeking a party ticket for the 2027 contest.
“I will compete as an Independent candidate,” he said.
His decision comes at a time when politicians in the Mt Kenya region are repositioning themselves ahead of the elections, with parties and political formations seeking to consolidate support in a region that is expected to be a major battleground.
Dawood's decision is particularly notable because he has been a vocal supporter of President Ruto and attended the UDA-ODM retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
He also revealed that he had been urged to contest on the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), associated with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The legislator's decision could give him room to focus on campaigns to lock North Imenti, where he has represented voters since 2013.
Dawood, who previously served as a councillor in the former Meru Municipal Council, said his decision was informed by confidence that voters would judge him on his performance rather than his political affiliation or background.
He has also faced questions over his Indian ancestry, with some of his opponents urging residents to elect a “native” candidate.
Dawood said attempts to portray him as an outsider were not new and had featured in previous election campaigns.
“It has been there for a long time, from 2013, when I first vied for MP. It was mentioned that I, being a Muslim, would convert churches to mosques. It was also said that my wife would not greet anybody with her bare hands. That was not true,” he said.
He recounted that similar claims resurfaced during the 2022 election vote-counting at Kaaga Methodist Church.
“When the votes were being counted at Kaaga Methodist Church, my opponents said they were going to send me to Pakistan, others said India. The negative campaigns have always been there. It is mainly propagated by the other aspirants, not the people,” he said.
Dawood said he was not worried about attempts to use ethnicity or race against him, arguing that voters had expressed their approval of him through the ballot.
“We do not need negative ethnicity or racism, because the people who elected me for consecutive terms saw my colour when they elected me. It did not matter to them what colour I was, as long as I was fit for the job.”
He added: “They have been electing me the way I am, so long as I did a good job. It was not by luck that I was elected.”
The ethnicity debate was reignited in the constituency following remarks by Gachagua during a visit to Meru, where he urged residents to reject leaders supporting President Ruto, whom he described as “traitors” of the Mt Kenya region.
Dawood said the remarks did not change his decision to remain independent and expressed confidence that he could withstand his opponents.
“My biggest support base is the women. Seventy per cent of my voters are women. It has always been like that. I think I do the right thing for them. My bursary fund is the best in Meru, and there is Uwezo Fund,” he said.
He noted that his office had used the Uwezo Fund to support women and young people in the constituency, saying that more than Sh70 million had been disbursed so far.
“It is a fund we were given in 2014, when we were given Sh16 million. To date, we have distributed more than Sh70 million. We are number one in the country. The fund is for youth and women, and the women in North Imenti have really taken it well, and they are the best payers,” he said.
Dawood's political career in Meru stretches beyond his parliamentary tenure. He served as councillor for Municipality Ward in the former Meru Municipal Council from 2007 to 2013 before entering Parliament.
He won the North Imenti parliamentary seat in 2013 on an Alliance Party of Kenya ticket and later sought re-election as an independent candidate.
With the 2027 contest approaching, Dawood says he still has unfinished business in the constituency, although he has not ruled out seeking a bigger political office in the future.
“I wanted to go for the governor's seat in 2022, but there were a few projects I wanted to complete in the constituency. Only a little is left. I may go for a higher seat in the future,” he said.
Dawood currently serves in the National Assembly's Roads and Transport and Appointments committees. He is also vice-chairman of the Special Funds Committee and a member of the Legal Caucus chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang'ula.
His decision to again run without a party ticket sets up a potentially significant contest in North Imenti, where established political networks, party realignments and questions over identity are expected to shape the race ahead of the 2027 elections.
