ODM Party officials in Kwale County have issued a stern warning to the party’s deputy party leader, who is also the Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho.
Joho, who has been seeking to cultivate a political clout as the Coastal kingpin, has been accused of attempting to push certain candidates and have them fly the ODM ticket in the gubernatorial and the senatorial seat.
The Senate seat fell vacant after the death of Senator Boy Juma Boy while the incumbent Governor Salim Mvurya has defected from ODM, citing sabotage by Joho, and will be seeking re-election on a Jubilee party ticket.
“We cannot accept projects to come here and get the party tickets at the expense of people who have been with the party and built it to its current strength and popularity today,” Msambweni sub-county ODM chairperson Fatuma Juma stated.
Ms Juma claimed that there had been concerted efforts from Mr Joho “to impose his preferred candidates on the people of Kwale”, saying that would not happen.
On Sunday, during a meeting at Ukunda, ODM branch chairman and Matuga MP Hassan Mwanyoha stated categorically that any influence from outside the county would be met with great resistance.
Allies of former minister Ali Chirau Mwakwere, who is also seen as Joho’s favourite for the governor’s seat, have also been quick to distance themselves from the Mombasa Governor.
“We resolved at the meeting that we completely reject influence from Mombasa or any other quarter to endorse a candidate for us, either for the Senate or governor’s seat. As Kwale people, we should be left alone to decide our destiny because we are not foolish,” said Simon Mwero Mkala, who is Mwakwere’s running mate.
Kwale County is dominated by the indigenous Mijikenda communities which have in the past decried oppression from the Arab community (which Joho belongs to).
