Candidates in late vote hunt for Msambweni by-election
By People Reporter, December 14, 2020Munira Mandano
Candidates for the Msambweni parliamentary seat by-elections engaged last minute campaigns at the weekend in ahead of the exercise slated for tomorrow.
The candidates took every opportunity for last minutes campaigns including door-to-door engagements to woo residents to voters in the mini polls that has attracted eight candidates.
The candidates include Omar Boga (ODM) Feisal Bader (Independent), Marere wa Mwachai (NVP) Charles Bilali (Independent), Ali Mwakulonda (PDE) Khamisi Liganje Mwakaonje (UGM), Sheikh Mahmoud Abdulrahman (Wiper) and Mansour Kumaka (Independent).
Each is optimistic that they will clinch the seat come Tuesday.
The race slowly turning to a two-horse between Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and Kwale governor Salim Mvurya who have both been campaigning for their favourite candidates.
While Mvurya led over 60 Tanga Tanga MPS to traverse the entire constituency to urge voters to vote for Feisal, ODM deputy party leader Joho trail blazed ODM MPs and senators in different meetings campaigning for Boga.
Both camps whipping voters to vote for their candidates saying they are best placed to take over from the late Suleiman Dori.
They are contesting for over 68,000 votes.
In their last campaign rally at Masai Bus Park, Joho said Boga’s victory will determine the political future of the Coast region.
“It is only you the people of Msambweni that will determine the political future of the Coast region through this parliamentary by election.
You either rise with me or undermine me through Boga’s results,” Joho said.
He says if Boga takes the victory and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Constitution amendment 2020 passes then he has good plans for the people in Coast region.
His Kwale counterpart said he will only gain respect from the ODM politicians through Feisal’s victory.
“I can only be respected by these ODM politicians through Feisal’s victory so please do not let me down. These people will never respect me if Feisal looses the seat,” Mvurya said.
The move came even as voters in the region were urged to think about the future and vote wisely.
Juma Matata, a youth leader, told residents not to gamble with their votes but instead elect a development conscious leader in the impending mini-poll.
“For a better future, young people should vote in a sincere and visionary leader who will immediately hit the ground and work for the constituents,” he said adding that the youth should be involved in governance and development.
Matata said the voters should elect a leader with proven development track record, inspiration, vision and the energy to run the affairs of the cosmopolitan constituency in Kwale County.
His sentiments were echoed by Khatib Mtengo, a community leader who has advised the residents to be more discerning and vote for credible and trustworthy leaders with the future of the constituency at heart in the Tuesday by-election.
Mtengo said residents should scrutinize the past track records of those wooing their support in the upcoming mini-poll.
“We ask the electorate to carefully evaluate the leading candidates and vote for the one they believe can develop the constituency,” he said during an interview in Diani.
He urged residents not to gamble with their votes but ensure they elect a leader who focuses on development-oriented issues and uplift them out of poverty.
The community leader said the voters should elect a leader capable of addressing the sensitive land question in the region by ensuring that local squatter communities were issued with title deeds.