Coast bigwigs in three-horse race for ODM deputy party leader post

The jostle for the vacant deputy party leader position in the ODM party intensified at the Coast over the weekend, threatening to divide the Orange house.

Three names have been fronted to take up the position formerly held by Mining and Blue Economy CS nominee Hassan Joho.

The three are Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, his Kilifi counterpart Gideon Mung’aro and county assembly speaker Aharub Khatri.

They are rank-and-file members of the party but with different political and financial muscles.

Political leaders are now lining up behind them, each pushing for their preferred candidate.

In Mombasa, Nassir received support from Jomvu MP Badi Twalib, who said he will defend him for his work in the county.

Twalib said he will take this stand even if it means becoming a lone ranger.

Nassir has seemingly lost the support of most of the MCAs, who rally behind Khatri.

Kadzandani MCA Fatma Kushe, who was once a staunch critic of the governor and Khatri's right-hand, has called for sobriety in the discussion.

“The other day MP Mwinyi said the position should be held by someone who will unite all leaders and treat all of them the same,” Kushe said.

Kushe was referring to remarks by Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi, who is  opposed to Nassir’s bid.

Mwinyi, who does not see eye-to-eye with Nassir, said the governor cannot unite people.

“My Mombasa governor wants that seat. As Omar Mwinyi, I do not hate him, but he cannot be. Why? Because here in Mombasa, three quarters of the leaders have a problem with him,” he said at Bomu secondary school.

Mwinyi repeated the same on Saturday at Tononoka grounds.

The MP said Nassir failed to deliver victory for the party in his Mvita stronghold, where he was legislator for two terms between 2013 and 2022.

ODM leader Raila Odinga lost to UDA’s President William Ruto in Mvita constituency in the 2022 general elections.

“Whose deputy party leader do you want to be? In your own constituency, Raila was beaten. In your own polling station, Raila was beaten,” Mwinyi said.

But Jomvu MP Badi Twalib, speaking in his constituency, defended Nassir.

The governor is a leader with integrity, has protected Mombasa’s resources and has what it takes to be the deputy party leader, he said. 

“In Education, we have seen his work. These roads in Jomvu, I had hit a dead end, but it is the intervention of Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir that we got them,” Twalib said.

“This is the good leadership we want. Where you the MP cannot reach, your brother can reach and get things done.”

He said it is wrong to belittle a governor as it smacks of poor leadership across the county.

Malindi MP Amina Mnyazi, who appeared to be representing Mung’aro’s interests, said Kilifi also deserves to be in the top echelons of the party.

“You Mombasa people have had the seat for 10 years. Is there a problem if you allow us to also have a taste of the seat? Let us also enjoy the sit a bit,” she said.

Woman representative Zamzam Mohamed weighed in. 

“I don’t know if my brother Aroro (as Khatri is commonly known in Mombasa) wants the seat. If it must go back to a Muslim, then I support my brother Aharub Khatri,” Zamzam said at the Tononoka ground.

“If it should remain at the Coast, then we will sit down and pick the one who can unite us so we can move the party forward,” she added.

Zamzam revealed that Mung’aro and Khatri had supported her Tononoka function, where she donated sewing machines, freezers, gas cylinders, chairs, stall tables, biryani sufurias to youth and women groups.

“My brother Mung’aro has also called me asking for my vote. I was waiting for my brother Abdulswamad to ask for my vote but he has not done so. Don’t you listen to someone who has asked from you?”

She however said she is willing to work with whoever will be handed the seat to move the party forward.

Other leaders called for sobriety in the succession debate. 

Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba said the party has structures which dictate that subcounty and county chairpersons have to come up with suitable candidates. 

After this, MPs come in to help make a decision.

“I don’t see why people should disagree and insult each other. Let’s sit together and choose someone who will help the whole of the Coast region,” Bedzimba said.

The next occupant must be from the Coast region, he added. 

Mvita MP Mohamed Machele said Coast leaders should not be divided because of the position.

“We will make sure we get a leader who will lead like Hassan Joho did. I ask, brothers, that we don’t throw words at each other. Our unity is key because it will make us be respected outside there,” he said.

This comes after Nassir and his Kisii counterpart Simba Arati met Raila in Mombasa last Wednesday.

The ODM deputy party leader succession was speculated to have been the meeting's agenda. 

Both Nassir and Arati downplayed talk of the position after the meeting, saying it was too early to speak about it.

“We will cross the river when we get to it,” Nassir said.

He said Joho’s resignation as deputy party leader will not stall any ODM programmes and the structure of the party is such that there can not be a vacuum of ideology.

Should members show their confidence in his ability to be one of the two ODM deputy party leaders he would oblige, Nassir added. 

“If I am fronted then I am glad that those who are fronting me have seen my loyalty and capacity. But right now is not the time to talk about those particular positions.”

That decision is the party’s to make and not his own, he added.