Blood may be thicker than water, but politics is proving thicker than both in Isiolo South. The upcoming by-election has split the late MP Bidu Mohamed Tubi’s family down the middle, with his daughter, Bina Tubi, set to face off against her own brother, Tubi Mohamed, in a high-stakes battle for their father’s legacy.

The contest has ceased to be a local affair and has morphed into a proxy war between the country’s top political formations. Bina has been endorsed by the Jubilee Party, backed by the Azimio coalition, while her brother Tubi has secured the UDA ticket, enjoying the full machinery of the ruling party.

"A Battle of Egos"

Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni presented the nomination certificate to Bina, framing her as the "rightful heir" to her father's development record. "She is the one who walked with mzee; she knows the vision," Kioni said. Conversely, Tubi Mohamed dismisses his sister’s bid as a "project" of opposition forces aimed at dividing the clan vote.

• Clan Dynamics: The Garre clan elders are reportedly divided, struggling to reach a consensus. In a culture where elders' word is often law, their inability to pick one sibling has thrown the race wide open.
• The Gender Card: Bina is running a campaign centered on women's empowerment and education, challenging the patriarchal norms of the region. "I am not running as a woman; I am running as a leader," she told supporters.

As the siblings trade barbs on the campaign trail, the residents of Isiolo South are watching a real-life soap opera, wondering if the family unity—and the constituency's stability—will survive the ballot box.