Garissa Senator Abdulkadir Haji pays glowing tribute to his father

Abdulkadir Haji, the newly-sworn in Garissa Senator, gave a glowing tribute to his late father Yusuf Haji on Tuesday.

Abdul — as he is popularly known — was sworn in six days after the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared him senator unopposed.

All major political players in the region had declared their support for him.

As he gave his first speech as Senator on Tuesday, an emotional Abdul thanked his father for the legacy he left behind.

Abdul told the senators that the biggest lesson he learned from his late father was the value for hard work.

“He woke up every day, put on his shoes and went to work; even if he was unwell, he would get up and go to work. He truly believed that if you worked hard, treated people with respect, helped where you could and with little luck from God, you would have a meaningful life,” Abdul said.

The Garissa Senator revealed that he attended eight primary schools due to his father’s work that saw him travel often. He intimated that at times questioned why his father worked so hard.

An emotional Abdul also told the Senate this would be the first month of Ramadhan in his life that he would be spending without his father.

“It’s not lost on me and I can never forget that I am here today because of the of the grace of God, and the heritage my father has left. He bequeathed us his children with something more valuable than all the treasures of this world; he left us with incredible and reliable friends,” he said.

Senators who spoke after the swearing in ceremony congratulated Abdul for taking over from his father and encouraged him follow in his footsteps.

They congratulated the people of Garissa for the kind of democracy exhibited which lead to Abdul being elected unopposed and expressed hope that the 2022 elections would be peaceful.