Political differences should not be the reason to deny the electorate services, two ‘rival’ politicians in Mombasa have said.
UDA’s Nyali MP Mohammed Ali and ODM’s Kadzandani MCA Fatma Kushe on Monday put aside their political differences and pledged to work together for the benefit of Kadzandani and Nyali residents.
The two broke ground for an access road in the Mwatamba area of Kadzandani ward together before attending a graduation ceremony for clergy at the Prophetic Embassy Church of all Nations.
“I have told her as leaders, we should not make a lot of noise. We should be sitting down with the electorate and start working together,” Ali said.
“By the way, my MCA is in ODM and I am in UDA. But you elected us to work, right? There is no reason we cannot work together because we are all working for you,” Ali told the congregation.
Kadzandani is one of the five wards in the Nyali constituency, four of which have ODM representatives.
Only Kongowea’s Samuel Mwaura is in UDA from the Nyali constituency, although there are three other elected UDA MCAs and two nominated ones in the Mombasa county assembly.
They include Junda’s Sylvester Kai and Mtopanga’s Morgan Masaki in the Kisauni constituency, and Tudor’s Samir Bhaloo in the Mvita constituency.
The two UDA-nominated MCAs are Naeem Mohamed and Florence Kachumbo.
There are two independent MCAs in the assembly including Chaani’s Franklin Makanga and Airport’s Ibrahim ‘Bomoa’ Oyugi.
Mwakirunge MCA Mwinyi Mtoto is in Wiper. Twenty-three of the 30 elected MCAs are in ODM.
Ali, who is the only elected MP in Mombasa in UDA, said the true measure of a leader is their ability to put aside their ego and differences to work for the people.
“That is why I will work with anyone willing to work with me like Kushe to serve the people of Nyali,” he said.
Ali said the Prophetic Embassy Church of All Nations needs to move out of the iron sheet structure and have a storey building constructed and he is ready to help make it happen.
“There is no way we will build a road and fail to build a church. Even if it takes some time, we will do the harambee. You look for money and I look for more money so we can do this together,” Ali said.
Kushe said she used to fight with Ali but then saw sense in working with him for the benefit of Kadzandani residents.
“God chose him in UDA and I in ODM to be the leaders in Nyali subcounty and Kadzandani ward. So we must work together and work for the people of Kadzandani and Nyali,” she said.
She said there is time for politics and time for development and these two times must be differentiated.
She said as MCA, there are some projects she will need from Ali as the area MP and without him nothing much can be done.
“Like this road here, he is building it. And I am pushed by my electorate to the wall for some things. I will have to come back to him, grab him by the neck and ask him to do two or three things for me and my people,” she said.
Kushe revealed that despite the political differences between her and Ali, they have been friends for quite some time.
“Even when you see us fight, we are long-time friends. So working with him for the benefit of Kadzandani residents is not quite a hard task for me,” she said.
The fiery MCA also called on the Church to help curb the spread of homosexuality by members of the LGBTQ+ community, which she said is becoming rampant in Kadzandani.
“This is where we can talk about this issue and provide guidance and leadership so that we can stop its spread,” Kushe said.
Pastor Solomon said this is the kind of politics that will help Kenyans.
“This is the Kenya we want. Politicians working together despite being in different political affiliations,” said the pastor.