Joho vows to pitch camp in Msambweni till election day
Munira Mandano
Mombasa Governor and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) deputy party leader Hassan Ali Joho has declared he will pitch tent in Msambweni until the December 15 by-election to campaign for Omar Boga.
Joho who was campaigning for Boga in Ukunda Ward appeared to be responding to his Kwale counterpart Salim Mvurya, who had asked him to keep off Mswambweni.
“I am here to stay. I am not going anywhere so whoever is not happy with my stay in Diani and Msambweni should leave this town,” he said.
Mvurya had questioned why politicians from Mombasa were busy politicking in Kwale, yet they had a lot to do in their own counties.
Kwale county chief has been campaigning for Feisal Abdallah Bader, the Independent candidate supported by Deputy President William Ruto.
“People should know I am the ODM deputy party leader. I am not here as the Mombasa Governor, and therefore, I will not leave until I see my brother Boga clinch this seat, and we will have it come rain, come sunshine,” Joho continued.
Other candidates in the race are Charles Bilali (Independent), Marere Wamwachai (National Vision Party), Hassan Mwakulonda (Party of Economic Democracy), Mahmoud Sheikh (Wiper Party) and Khamis Mwakaonje (United Green Movement) and Mansury Kumaka (Independent).
Boga is a former civic leader and a brother of Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga, while Bader is cousin and former personal assistant to the late MP Suleimani Dori.
Lunga-Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani and his Kinango counterpart Benjamin Tayari are leading the campaign teams of Abdallah, while Joho has literally camped in Msambweni to drum up support for Boga.
Mwashetani who toured Kibundani and Mkwakwani areas on Tuesday urged the electorate to come out in large numbers and vote for Abdallah.
“Abdallah will ensure education for the children of Msambweni is guaranteed and there is equitable distribution of resources across the constituency,” he said in Kibundani.
On his part, Joho said that as members of ODM, they will not let Boga wage the battle alone.
“Do you think we will leave Boga just like the way Ruto has left his candidate to fight the battle alone?
We will not. And this week our party leader Raila Odinga is also going to join us,” he said.
Government project
Elsewhere at Ukunda Showground, Kwale Women Rep Zulekha Hassan was heckled by the public after trying to woo them to vote for Boga.
Zulekha was addressing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) signature launch meeting attended by Mvurya and Kwale County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo, where she campaigning for Boga and the public heckled her.
“BBI is a government project. We got it through the Hand shake, and here in Msambweni we also have a candidate who is from the Hand shake and the handshake is the government, so since we support the BBI let’s all vote for Boga,” Zulekha said.
However, Governor Mvurya has rubbished Zulekha’s sentiments and told her to stop lying to the locals because there is nothing like a government candidate.
“Mheshimiwa Zulekha stop lying to the locals. There is nothing like government project.
BBI has no relationship with Msambweni by-election completely, so please get other ways of convincing locals to vote for your candidate,” he said.
“There is no government candidate, I recall all the calls from president Uhuru Kenyatta about this by election here what he keeps on telling me is that I should make sure that it is done peacefully and he has never told me that there is a government candidate,” Mvurya said.
