Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir in Likoni for SHA sensitisation /HANDOUT
Political temperatures continue to rise in Mombasa as players start showing their claws. Alignments keep on shifting, with most MCAs showing their political allegiance, although some are issuing mixed signals.
Neutrals are fence-sitting, as they wait for the political events to unfold. Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir on Thursday hit out at his critics, saying his kindness should not be taken for weakness.
He says he is stronger than people think, with his allies making the rallying call “Kumi bila break” which is Swahili for “Ten years without a break”.It is a message to his enemies that he intends to fight for his second term in 2027.
“I was blessed to be MP for two terms, I was blessed to be governor, I will be blessed to be governor again and I will be blessed to be more than a governor in the future," he said.
Nassir spoke at Concordia Primary School, where he issued contract letter for ECDE teachers who will now be paid by the county government.
The county chief said his style of politics is not to engage his political rivals in public spats like other politicians do.
“However, this should not be misconstrued to be a weakness. When a leader is silent, it does not mean they are weak,” he said.
“In fact, when a leader is silent, he is stronger than the rest because he takes in a lot of trash from his opponents. It means they are resilient and persevering. Hate is easy, but it takes a lot of strength to persevere and be restraint.”
POLITICAL THREAT
His statement comes amid increased initiatives by Mombasa county assembly speaker Aharub Khatri, who is seen as a political threat to the governor. Khatri has recently been in a food drive across the country, donating food to the needy and less fortunate.
This has seen him become a darling to majority of the Mombasa residents who have been pushing him to go for the governor seat. However, Khatri, commonly referred to as Aroro, has remained focused on his food drive and has several times rebuffed the idea he is eyeing the governor position.
“I am satisfied with where I am. I have not said I am looking for any other seat. But already, I see people shitting on themselves whenever I visit a place to help Mombasa residents,” Khatri said at his last food drive in Jomvu last Sunday.
Khatri is said to have control of most of the 40 MCAs in Mombasa county although some of those who were thought to be on his side were on Thursday seen at Governor Nassir event, with some singing the rallying call “Kumi bila break”.
Majority leader in the county assembly and Likoni MCA Athman Mwamwiri said some of the MCAs secretly love Nassir but are afraid to show it openly.
“Be like Yanga, if you fear loving him openly, then you are allowed to love him secretly,” he said.
Mwamwiri is one of the Likoni MCAs who are loyal to Nassir because of Likoni MP Mishi Mboko.
Mboko controls almost all of the MCAs in Likoni, including nominated ones from the area. She is a known Nassir loyalist. However, the ground in Likoni is slowly turning against her, and last Sunday, she rushed to former Governor Hassan Joho to try and salvage her dwindling status.
The former governor is still a strong force in Mombasa because the Joho family has a lot of weight in Mombasa politics.
Joho was the chief guest at Kenya Roads Board chairperson Aisha Jumwa’s thanksgiving ceremony at Msabaha ground in Malindi on Sunday.
Nassir was at the same time re-opening the refurbished Uwanja wa Mbuzi stadium in Kongowea. However, it was surprising to many to see Mboko snub Nassir’s event and attend Joho’s in Malindi.
FORGIVENESS
Political observers say the MP’s move was a desperate one to seek forgiveness from the Joho family for staying extremely loyal to Nassir at the expense of the family’s interests.
At Concordia, Nassir said he remains focused on serving Mombasa residents, as people are hell-bent on stoning him.
“I was taught that whenever someone throws stones at you, take those stones and use them to build a house,” he said.
He said he is devoid of violent politics.
“I did not win my first elections by force, I did not win my second election by force, I did not win the governor race by force, and I will not get spoiled in my adulthood,” he said.
He urged politicians in Mombasa to set aside their differences and work together for the benefit of Mombasa people.
Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba cautioned Mombasa residents against cheering whenever political leaders fight.
He said there will always be fights in any house, but it does not mean the fights should divide people and take sides.
“When you see your leaders engage in political fights, pray f o r t h e m so they can mend fences and work together. Because if they keep on fighting you will be the ones to lose,” he told Mombasa residents.