Coastal leaders have stated that they will not support Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho’s quest to run for the presidency in 2022.
A section of leaders disowned Joho's bid and endorsed Kilifi County Governor Amason Kingi as the region’s political kingpin a move that is viewed by many as the traditional Mijikenda/Arab divide, which has in the past dictated Coast politics.
Joho’s critics maintained that the region’s kingpin must come from the populous Mijikenda community to which Kingi belongs while the Mombasa governor is from the Swahili community but is accused of aligning himself with the Arabs.
Kilifi North lawmaker Owen Baya openly stated that the Mijikenda community would back one of their own for the presidency in 2022, a reference to the Kilifi governor.
[caption caption="Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho with his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi"]
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“The Mijikenda community controls almost 90 percent of the Coast vote and we have decided that it is Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi who will lead us to the next government in 2022. Let us support him,” Baya stated.
Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa also made a similar push and called on all coastal leaders to endorse Kingi to take on the top office in the country in 2022.
“The only person who should lead us to success is Governor Amason Kingi. No other leader at the Coast has the qualities which Governor Kingi has. He is our choice and as the Mijikenda, we must support him,” Jumwa maintained.
The leaders also made a declaration of plans to form a new political party for the region since the coastal region has almost 1.7 million votes and the number is expected to reach two million by 2022.
Coast human rights activist Nagib Shamsan noted that Joho’s chances of getting the Mijikenda votes are slim dealing a blow to his ambitions.
[caption caption="Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho with his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi"]
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“Governor Joho has aligned himself with the Arabs. Many Mijikenda communities feel that the Arabs were responsible for the many land problems they are experiencing,” Shamsan stated.
