Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Jehow Humiliated as Crowd Chants ‘One Term’ During Rare County Visit After Years Away
Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow faced an embarrassing reception after being heckled by residents during what has been reported as her first visit to the county since the 2022 General Election, in a dramatic incident that has reignited debate over her performance ahead of the 2027 polls.
Tensions flared shortly after the legislator arrived in Wajir aboard a helicopter on Monday, July 20, before joining a convoy of white saloon vehicles to meet residents in different parts of the county.
Video footage circulating online showed supporters and residents gathering to receive the MP as she prepared to address the public. However, the event quickly descended into chaos when sections of the crowd interrupted her speech with chants of “One Term! One Term!”, signalling dissatisfaction with her leadership.
The chants grew louder as Jehow attempted to continue speaking, forcing her supporters to struggle to regain control of the gathering.
The incident comes at a politically sensitive moment, with elected leaders across Kenya increasingly returning to their constituencies as campaigns for the 2027 General Election begin to take shape.
Mixed Record Under Scrutiny
Jehow’s tenure has generated sharply contrasting assessments from parliamentary monitoring organisations and opinion pollsters.
According to the latest Mzalendo Trust Parliamentary Scorecard, the Wajir Woman Representative scored 19 out of 100, placing her 209th out of 348 Members of the National Assembly.
The scorecard indicates that her strongest area was voting participation, where she achieved 70 out of 100, while her rankings for parliamentary debates, speech contributions and sponsorship of legislation remained comparatively low.
However, public perception surveys present a more divided picture.
The Infotrak CountyTrak Index awarded Jehow a 35 percent approval rating, placing her among the lower-ranked Woman Representatives nationally but second within the North Eastern region behind Garissa Woman Representative Amina Udgoon Siyad.
Other research firms have produced more favourable findings.
Pollster Africa ranked Jehow as the best-performing Woman Representative in the North Eastern region, while Mizani Africa reported her approval rating had climbed to 61 percent, citing humanitarian assistance programmes and development initiatives undertaken in Wajir.
Political Pressure Mounts
The hostile reception highlights the growing political pressure facing leaders as they seek to strengthen their support bases ahead of the next General Election.
Across the country, Members of Parliament, governors and senators have intensified grassroots engagements amid increasing scrutiny from voters demanding greater accountability and visible development.
The incident also revives broader concerns surrounding development in Kenya’s North Eastern region.
Despite receiving billions of shillings through devolution since 2013, counties including Wajir, Garissa and Mandera continue to face persistent challenges such as recurring drought, water shortages, poor sanitation, limited infrastructure and low education outcomes.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have previously criticised some leaders from the region, alleging that public resources have not translated into meaningful local development and accusing certain politicians of prioritising investments outside their counties.
For Jehow, Monday’s dramatic reception could prove an early warning of the political battles likely to define the road to the 2027 General Election, as voters increasingly demand both visibility and tangible results from their elected representatives.
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