Jumwa, Charo prepare for tough battle for Malindi post

Voters in Malindi constituency are set to be the target of yet another round of bruising campaigns as Jubilee and ODM parliamentary candidates lock horns ahead of the August 8 General Election.

The campaigns come 15 months after the two parties fought a major political battle during the Malindi by-election that was won by ODM.

The March 7, 2016 by-election pitted JP candidate Philip Charo against ODM’s William Mtengo.

JUMWA AGAINST CHARO
The biggest change is that Kilifi Woman Rep Aisha Jumwa, who led ODM’s campaign and victory for Mr Mtengo in the by-election, is herself in the parliamentary ring this time around.

She bagged the ODM ticket in a vicious battle with Mr Mtengo that produced almost as much fireworks as the unforgettable by-election.

She scooped 8,436 votes against the incumbent’s 3,758 votes.

Now the August election will feature Mr Charo against Ms Jumwa.

Ms Jumwa, the vocal and skilful orator made her threat come to pass by wrestling the inexperienced Mtengo at the party primaries last week after supporting him so vigorously during the by-election.

KAZUNGU'S APPOINTMENT
She will face Mr Charo and by extension, Jubilee, like it was in 2016.

However, Mr Mtengo is also likely to feature after he indicated he would consider running on an independent ticket.

In the by-election, Mr Mtengo beat Mr Charo when he got 15,582 votes to his opponent’s 9,243 votes to fill the vacancy left by MP Dan Kazungu (ODM), who was appointed Mining Cabinet Secretary by President Uhuru Kenyatta and had to resign as MP.

Mr Charo got the JP ticket almost effortlessly when he floored his only rival, Mr Peter Mwawana with 7,269 votes to the challenger’s 1,135 votes during the party primaries last week.

FOCUS CAMPAIGN

It can be argued, however, that a lot of water has passed under the bridge.

The by-election campaigns had the push of the opposition top brass, ODM leader Raila Odinga, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and all the other opposition chiefs, including Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Jeffa Kingi.

Equally, the Jubilee onslaught then had its top men, Deputy President William Ruto, outspoken MP for Garissa Township and Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale, and Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro among others in Mr Charo’s campaign trail.

The opposition leaders then had set aside their differences to mount a fierce common campaign for their candidate.

The same cannot be said today as Ms Jumwa is said to be allied to Mr Odinga while the disgraced Mtengo has massive support from Governor Kingi.

ODM ZONE
It is obvious that during the August 8 race, it will be a one-on-one battle between the vocal Ms Jumwa and Mr Charo, with residents holding their breath to see who will carry the day.

There’s also currently bad blood between Ms Jumwa and Mr Kingi, with the MP accusing the governor of having taken sides and backed Mr Mtengo during the party mini-polls.

Malindi and indeed the entire coast has been a strong opposition zone, this is manifested by the number of seats it won during the 2013 General Election.

All the six governors in the coast were elected on opposition party tickets.

Majority MPs and MCAs too were elected on the now Nasa-affiliated parties.

WOOING VOTERS
Jubilee has been struggling to make inroads in the area since then, with a spirited onslaught led by President Kenyatta, his deputy and a group of rebel coast MPs led by Mr Mung’aro.

The Kenyatta administration has been dangling the carrot of development to lure voters and reverse the opposition wave in the area — funding massive roads projects, initiating electricity supply programmes, dishing title deeds and appointing locals to top public service jobs.

Those in JP have been arguing that there is much to be gained in terms of development by being in government, unlike in the Opposition.

However, the Opposition still enjoys an upper hand in the area because residents believe that their aspirations and dreams are found there – ending marginalisation, resolving the decades-old squatter problem, fair distribution of resources and generally better governance.

Locals further opine that it is only through the Opposition that they could fully enjoy the fruits of devolution and natural resources.

A comment by Kinango MP Gonzi Rai (Jubilee) who participated actively in the March 7 by-election for Malindi summed it up: “In Malindi and Coast in general, I have realised, there are three religions: Islam, Christianity and ODM.”