Fallout looms in ODM Kilifi over governor ticket

Charles Lwanga

A major political fallout is brewing in Kilifi County Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) branch ahead of August 9 General Elections after four political heavyweights declared interest in the governorship.

This follows the entry of Kilifi Speaker Jimmy Kahindi, who ditched Governor Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) and Kenya Ambassador to Tanzania Dan Kazungu who joined the party.

Other candidates who have declared interest in the seat are Devolution CAS Gideon Mung’aro, a former Jubilee Party Coast region pointman and Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi.

Last weekend, former Watamu MCA Ibrahim Matumbo, who is also a close confidant of Mung’aro claimed there were plans to lock out the former Malindi MP from the party primaries and hand the ticket to Kahindi, after the speaker and his supporters visited Raila in Mombasa to bury the hatchet.

 Speaking to journalists, Matumbo said Mung’aro and his team including himself vied for various political positions in 2017 on Jubilee Party but have so far decamped to ODM following the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the ODM leader Odinga.

“We would like to state very categorically that we cannot go for nominations with Kahindi.

He is not a man of integrity after serving the people of Kilifi for the last 10 years,” he said adding:  “The speaker is being fronted for the seat by Kilifi businessmen who want to use him for selfish gains.”

“We are going to tell Mung’aro to go to Governor Amason Kingi and work with him to popularise the party in Kilifi,” he said.

“Currently, we are waiting for Mung’aro to give us direction and by end of this month we will announce the party which we will join should the situation in ODM fail to change.”

But Kahindi in his response dismissed Matumbo saying ODM is a democratic party and he was ready to face the other candidates in the primaries.

“I met Baba (Raila Odinga), we talked and discussed issues of ODM and as Kahindi, I am interested in the gubernatorial seat and I will talk to people of Kilifi,’ he said.

 “I suddenly changed my heart and joined ODM party after listening to the people who told me that it was the most popular party in Kilifi.”

Kahindi, who early last year rallied about 50 MCAs and declared intention to ditch ODM for a political party to be formed by Kingi, said it is too early for people to panic as the game was still at ‘warm up stage’.

 “Lets meet on the ground, we play the game and people are the ones who will decide. The reactions have by the way given me morale because even people have seen that this young man is dangerous and its true of they joke we will defeat them,” he said adding “I will hold on to ODM Party until the last minute.”

While responding to reports that some gubernatorial aspirants through their proxies have threatened to ditch ODM. Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire, who is also the Kilifi branch chairman insisted ODM is a democratic outfit.

Mwambire also dismissed Matumbo claims saying they failed to honour calls to submit application to become aspirant as per the December 24 deadline.