More aspirants join race to challenge governor Godhana in Tana River
Charles Lwanga
The race to unseat Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana in the 2022 General Election has attracted a new entrant, Bura MP Ali Wario, who has declared interest in the seat, a move that could complicate matters for former Governor Hussein Dado who is seeking a comeback.
Dado, lost the seat in the 2017 General Election to Godhana after he ditched Wiper party on whose ticket he won in the 2013 for the Jubilee Party.
He has however not disclosed the party on whose ticket he will fight for re-election but his allies say he is keen to contest on any party that enjoys support of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.
After losing to governor Dhadho, Dado was appointed by Uhuru as the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution.
The contest is usually between the Pokomo and Orma sub-groups which are the majority. Both Wario and Dado come from the pastrolist Orma community. Dhadho is from the farming Pokomo.
Already, Dhadho faces a litmus test in his bid to defend the seat on the ODM ticket after former Tana River trade executive Adam Barisa Dhida, a die-hard ODM supporter, also from the Pokomo community declared interest in the governorship.
Pokomo community
Dhida lost twice during the primaries and is likely to split the Pokomo vote to the disadvantage of governor Dhadho.
Other than the Orma and Pokomo, the county which borders Kilifi, Lamu, Garissa and Kitui, is also inhabited by the minority Somali, Giriama, Munyoyaya, Wailwana, Watta and Wardei sub-groups.
In the 2013 General Election, pastoralists communities including the Orma, Wardhei and Somalis ganged up and delivered Dado’s victory after the Pokomo fielded more than one candidate.
Former Tana River Speaker Dr Nuh Nassir who has declared interest in the seat comes from the Orma community but his he is widely expected to pull out to support Dado.
In the last election, the Wardhei community chose to go it alone prompting the Orma to gang up with marginalised Munyoyaya, clearing the way for a Godhana victory.
Yesterday, Dhida, told the People Daily he will do anything to ensure he wins the party primaries.
“My rival has already lost the ground and I am fully prepared to defeat him in the party primaries,” he said adding: “I will do anything possible to ensure he is not on the ballot under the ODM because supporters have rejected him. I am the most preferred ODM candidate.”
In August, ODM National Election Board (NEB) chairperson Catherine Mumma toured the county and gave the two rival leaders a 21-day notice to end the wars or quit before the party holds grassroot elections.
“You cannot be fighting daily because of positions in the ODM just because you want to control others. These wrangles are not in any way helping the party and its leader Raila Odinga,” she said during a meeting in Hola.
Speaking to the People Daily on phone, Dhida who introduced himself as the ODM chairman in county said they still have not solved their wrangles.
