Diriye Vows Support for Hagardera Fire Victims as Fafi By-Election Nears.

Hagadera, Garissa.

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Diriye Maalim Ibrahim took his campaign to Hagardera Refugee Camp on Tuesday, where he met traders rebuilding their stalls after a recent fire razed the town’s main market, destroying property worth millions of shillings.

The Fafi Ward aspirant, who faces Hassan Aden (Ford–Kenya) and Feisal Gedi (ODM) in the upcoming September 2025 mini poll, urged the Garissa County Government to waive market levies for one year to help affected traders recover.

“It is unfair to demand revenue from traders who are struggling to rebuild from ashes,” Diriye said, receiving a warm reception from the victims of the inferno.

“The county government should suspend all market charges for at least a year as these hardworking men and women restore their livelihoods,” he added.

Addressing traders at the reconstruction site, Diriye emphasized the urgent need to establish a fire station in Hagardera, saying delayed responses had worsened recent emergencies.

“It is unacceptable that there is no fire station here. Four fire engines brought by UNHCR are parked at the Kenya Red Cross camp in Dadaab. One should be stationed in Hagardera, and the county must allocate another,” he urged.

The UDA candidate also pledged to push a motion in the county assembly seeking compensation for traders affected by disasters such as fires and floods.

“Whether you are a refugee or a Kenyan, you pay revenue to the county government. You deserve services that reflect your contribution,” he added.

Diriye commended the traders for their resilience and determination to rebuild their livelihoods despite the heavy losses.

Local trader Omar Yussuf, speaking on behalf of the business community, echoed the call for a local fire station, lamenting repeated market fires without timely intervention.

“We have lost property several times because there are no fire engines nearby. We need urgent action before another disaster strikes,” Yussuf said.

The Fafi Ward mini poll has drawn intense interest as candidates step up grassroots campaigns across the sub-county. Diriye, a career civil servant, previously served at the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and has built his campaign around service delivery and disaster preparedness.

Fafi Ward is one of the 24 electoral units across the country scheduled to hold by-elections on November 27, 2025.