Political heavyweights pitch camp in Mombasa ahead of August 29 poll
By Reuben.Mwambingu, August 27, 2022The port city of Mombasa has in the past few days been a beehive of activities laden with an unusually heavy presence of the country’s political heavyweights, ahead of the hotly contested Mombasa gubernatorial polls on Monday, August 29.
On Tuesday evening August 23, Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua jetted to Mombasa to rally support for ODM candidate Abdulswamad Nassir.
Raila’s visit appeared to have opened the floodgates for visits of a host of other big shots from across the political divide, who have been trooping to Mombasa to campaign for their respective candidates.
Besides Raila and Martha, former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and ODM Chairman John Mbadi among others were in Mombasa to campaign for Nassir.
At the same time, the Kenya Kwanza camp unleashed Deputy President-elect Rigathi Gachagua, South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro, and former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko among others to campaign for UDA candidate Hassan Omar.
Even as curtains for campaigns closed on Friday, the two front-runner candidates have been battling to consolidate their support base by wooing communities with numerical superiority.
As Nassir met members of the Gema community in the Makupa area where he was endorsed by Owino, Mbadi and Sabina Chege, Omar was meeting members of the Abaluhya community where he was also endorsed by former Governors Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Amason Kingi (Kilifi), former Lungalunga legislator Khatib Mwashetani, Nyali MP Mohamed Ali among others.
On Thursday, top Kamba leaders led by former governors Charity Ngilu and Mike Mbuvi Sonko were in Mombasa where they separately led sections of Kamba community leadership in Mombasa to endorse the candidates ahead of Monday’s elections.
It is a race that authorities and observers have described as unique due to “high stakes and interests attached.”
Speaking during a joint strategy forum under the Uchaguzi Bila Balaa project, a co-chair of the County multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration forum on election preparedness, Mama Shamsa Abubakar said the high-level interests for the port county as a result of the port factor and investments involved have made the contest “a do or die.”
Abubakar said for the first time in history, Mombasa governor elections will be monitored by major political players some of who have already secured their seats, a situation she said has heightened tension ahead of the polls.
“Every side is keen to ensure that their candidate gets the seat. Money is currently being poured to run campaigns and even bribe voters. In the long run, it is our youth who end up suffering. This is why as multi-sectorial we are moving heaven and earth to ask our young people to maintain peace at this time to avoid bloodshed,” she said: “We are urging politicians who will be here to monitor elections to maintain peace,” Abubakar said.