ODM CHAOS IN MOMBASA

ODM has denied reports that there is a list of preferred candidates for various elective seats in the 2022 general election.

The party’s Mombasa chairman Mohamed ‘Dhee’ Khamis on Wednesday said so far, no one has registered their interest for any elective seat in the county with the branch office.

“Officially, as far as the party is concerned, no one has come out to seek any elective positions here. Our register is still clean,” Dhee said.

He spoke at Tononoka Social Hall during a meeting with Nyi Luo, women members group of the party from the Luo community, on Mashujaa Day.

Dhee said the party has only one preferred candidate, party leader Raila Odinga whom they have endorsed to fly the party flag for the 2022 presidential race.

The party faces a serious dilemma in Mombasa county where three aspirants have declared interest to vie for the governor’s seat.

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir, businessman Suleiman Shahbal and Deputy Governor William Kingi have stepped up their campaigns to succeed ODM deputy party leader Hassan Joho as Mombasa governor.

The three have employed different tactics to win over the hearts of ODM and Mombasa residents.

Nassir, who has been endorsed by most of the ODM elected leaders in Mombasa including Senator Mohammed Faki and MPs Mishi Mboko (Likoni), Badi Twalib (Jomvu), and Asha Hussein (Woman Rep), is confident of clinching the ticket owing to his loyalty to the party.

Shahbal says his work in helping Mombasa residents, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic despite not being an elected leader, and his experience running big businesses and programmes will help him manage the county better than any other candidate.

Kingi, who has been Joho’s deputy for four years now, says he has gained enough experience and knows the workings of the administration enough to manage the county.

There is speculation that the choice of Dhee— a stepbrother to Joho— as a party official was a strategic one to help the Nassir camp clinch the ticket.

However, Dhee has since denied this, saying he has no preferred candidate and that party members will decide who to fly the ODM flag either through consensus or primaries.

Shahbal however says endorsement by leaders does not translate to clinching the ticket.

“Only party delegates at the grassroots will decide. The best candidate will win and we are the best,” he said through his aide Idris Abdulrahman.

On Wednesday, Dhee said all talk with no action would come to nought.

“If you campaign out there without registering with the branch office, you will only get to vie through ODM on Viusasa,” said the county chair.

He said the social media, where politicians are very active, will not help them win the party ticket if they do not register their aspirations with the branch office.

“The social media is not the ODM county office. Whatever happens or is said there is not the party position,” he said.

He assured party members nobody will be discriminated or barred from seeking the party’s certificate through party primaries.

“Everybody is welcome on board to take part in the nomination process and everybody will be given equal opportunity to seek the party ticket,” he said.

Women, he said, have to take advantage of the party’s promotion of women leadership to vie for as many seats as possible.

The women population is higher than that of their male counterparts and this will play in their favour if they want to leverage on their numbers, Dhee noted.

ODM Mombasa county secretary Geoffrey Busaka said the party will secure all its candidates, allaying fears of violence against the women.

Busaka however called on aspirants to ensure they register as many members as possible saying political parties are built by numbers.

“Numerical strength is key for any political party. We need numbers to be strong. Let us mobilise as many people as possible, especially the youth, to register as ODM members,” he said.

“We are happy and thank the government for opening the country’s economy after lifting the dusk-to-dawn curfew. We can now move around and register as many members as possible at any time of the day,” he said.

By The Star