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Member of Parliament, Banisa
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Ahmed Maalim Hassan (born 4 April 1974) is the newly elected Member of Parliament for Banisa Constituency in Mandera County. He won the 27 November 2025 by-election on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket with 10,431 votes, becoming the first MP in the wider region to be elected on a UDA ticket. The seat fell vacant following the death of his elder brother, former MP Kullow Maalim Hassan, who died in March 2023 after a hit-and-run boda boda accident, and Ahmed’s victory is widely seen as a continuity mandate for his late brother’s development agenda. Born in Mandera County and associated with the Somali communities of the north-east, Ahmed holds Kenyan and British citizenship and has spent part of his adult life abroad, including a period in South Africa before returning to seek elective office. His legal identity drew national attention when it emerged that while his Kenyan passport bears the name Ahmed Maalim Hassan, his British passport lists him as Ali Barre Sheto of Somali nationality—an issue that triggered a court challenge to his candidacy, later dismissed. He presents himself as a unifying figure committed to stability in a border constituency that has experienced insecurity and political uncertainty since 2023.
Elected MP for Banisa (2025): Won the Banisa by-election with 10,431 votes, defeating UPA candidate Nurdin Maalim Mohamed (1,240 votes) and securing a landslide mandate.
First UDA MP from Banisa/region: Became the first MP in the constituency and broader area elected on a UDA ticket, reinforcing President William Ruto’s party presence in North Eastern Kenya.
Dual citizenship and identity dispute: Faced a high-profile legal challenge alleging failure to disclose dual citizenship and alleged identity fraud, after it emerged that his UK passport bears the name Ali Barre Sheto (Somali nationality) while his Kenyan documents read Ahmed Maalim Hassan.
IEBC eligibility petition: A petitioner argued that by presenting differing names and documents he misled IEBC and the public, and sought to bar him from contesting the by-election on integrity grounds.
High Court dismissal of the case: Justice Lawrence Mugambi dismissed the petition as premature, speculative and lacking legal merit, clearing Hassan to run; this effectively ended the immediate legal threat but left questions about documentation in public debate.
Symbol of continuity after vacancy and bereavement: His election ended nearly three years of representation vacuum created by his brother’s death, with many residents explicitly framing his win as continuation of Kullow Maalim Hassan’s development agenda.
Strong local and national backing: Campaigned with visible support from Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif, Senator Ali Roba and UDA–UDM alliance figures, indicating his role in a larger regional political alignment.
Ongoing public scrutiny: Although now duly elected, his identity saga and dual-citizenship narrative are likely to remain a point of scrutiny for opponents and governance-watch groups, especially around future leadership roles and any security-sensitive committee assignments.
