Hon Rahim Dawood Being a Kenyan of Asian origin, Rahim has defied all the odds to receive overwhelming support from Imenti North residents, mainly due to his development track record and accessibility by the people.
Hon. Rahim is probably the most decorated sitting MP in Meru and the larger Mt. Kenya East region, having joined active politics in 2007 as a Councilor under the Narc-Kenya Party.
He was later elected as the Commercial Ward Councilor and went on to become the North Imenti MP in 2013 under the Alliance Party of Kenya (popularly known as MBUS), a party led by Kiraitu Murungi.
In the 2013 general election, Rahim trounced TNA’s Silas Muriuki, who had just won his only term as MP after several attempts. Rahim Dawood was re-elected as North Imenti MP in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket and has served in several key committees in the National Assembly.
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He has made clear his intention to seek a third term in the August 2022 polls, contesting on a Jubilee Party ticket.
Education
Abdul Rahim Dawood attended Meru Primary School in Municipality Ward, where he attained his Certificate of Primary Education in 1976. The following year, he proceeded to the Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi for his ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels.
He graduated from the Kenya Methodist University (KEMU) in 2012 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. His education was supplemented by a Master of Business Administration (Finance) from the same University in 2013.
Abdul Rahim Dawood’s Wife
Abdul Rahim Dawood is married to Hawa Musani Dawood, and they are blessed with two children, Tania Dawood, and Alisha Dawood. The family lives in Milimani Estate on the outskirts of Meru Town.
Rahim has over time towered high as a strategic thinker, a philanthropist who has evidently dedicated his life to the less fortunate in attempts to raise their profiles. Even outside his political career, Rahim has financed several schools in the North Imenti constituency and aided in the building of several worship centers.
From Councilor to MP
Rahim began his political journey as the councilor of the Commercial ward within Meru Municipality where he initiated several projects despite the opposition he faced from his counterparts in the municipality.
During his tenure as Councilor, he received two awards, one from former President Arap Moi and another from President Mwai Kibaki, both for his exemplary service to the community.
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Hon. Rahim was able to initiate several water projects, some outside his Commercial Ward, something that greatly endeared him to the people. He put up a pediatric ward at the Meru General Hospital, concerned by the overcrowding at the facility.
Rahim also put up a dialysis unit at the same facility, which was officially commissioned by First Lady Hon. Margaret Kenyatta and then Governor Peter Munya in 2015.
It was Abdul Rahim Dawood who oversaw the construction of a new water and sanitation project at the Gakoromone open-air market in Meru town. He also funded a girls’ dormitory at the Kaaga School for the mentally handicapped and paid for the construction of a kitchen at the women’s section of the Meru GK Prison.
As a Councilor, Rahim became a household name and featured greatly in changing the lives of street children through an effective feeding program. He conceived the idea of building three thousand kiosks which were to be disbursed to small-scale business people in the North Imenti constituency, although the Municipal Council at that time rejected the proposal.
As councilors around the country were busy demanding higher pay and MPs flatly refusing to pay taxes on their allowances, Hon. Rahim set a precedent by becoming the first politician to donate his entire salary to area voters. His growing popularity motivated him to contest for the Meru Mayor’s seat, where he narrowly lost by 2 votes, citing interference from his long-time rival Hon. Silas Muriuki.
Hon. Rahim Networth
Abdul Rahim Dawood has received numerous awards, among them the Head of State Commendation (HSC) from President Mwai Kibaki in 2005, and the Distinguished Service Medal from President Daniel Arap Moi in 1996.
He has built a renal unit and ward at the Meru Referral and Teaching Hospital, a kitchen at the Meru Women’s Prison, a dormitory at Kaaga School for the Mentally Handicapped, and watering points at Gakoromone and Shauri Yako slums.
He owns several properties in Meru town. Apart from Blue Towers Hotel where his office is located, Dawood has a number of commercial buildings within the central business district, some of which house major banks and supermarkets.
Abdul Rahim Dawood Contact
Email: rahimdwd@yahoo.co.uk,
Telephone: 0722513900
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