By Eugene Omilo
Mombasa’s gubernatorial contender Mr. Suleiman Shahbal found himself in hot soup after he made an offer to Likoni leaders to give him a running mate for the 2012 elections after the local leaders scoffed at him saying his offer was tantamount to undermining them.
Led by Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima, the leaders told off Mr. Shahbal saying the constituency was capable of producing a governor for the county.
Mr. Shahbal made the remarks at the Licodep centre over the weekend while addressing a well attended meeting convened by a new political association, the Wamiji Forum, which comprises leaders and professionals from Likoni constituency.
“Asking us to play second fiddle is like assuming that we have already thrown in the towel in the governor’s race which is not the case.Give us time to sit down and contemplate on whom amongst us is fit bfor the job but if we fail, we will call you and ask for such a favour,” said Mr. Mwahima.
Mr. Shahbal however stood by his remarks saying in politics, not all people subscribe to the same school of thought.
“It is normal, you don’t expect everyone to be happy with you in a political meeting, there will always be difference of opinion,” Mr. Shahbal told yours truly after the stormy meeting.
The other contenders for the governor’s post Mr. Hassan Joho and Mr. Abdala Mwaruwa who were also invited did not turn up nor send apologies.
According to the association’s secretary Mr. Abeid Mtsumi, the meeting had been called to allow local leaders and professionals to discuss on ways of developing the constituency as well as chart a way forward to the political position to be taken by Likoni residents in 2012 concerning the various seats introduced by the new constitution.
There was visible tension in the meeting especially as former area MP Suleiman Shakombo shared the dais with sitting MP Masoud Mwahima, with each attacking the other when they rose to speak.
Mr. Mwahima differed with his predecessor concerning the rationale behind constituting the Wamiji forum saying it should not be disbanded as some suggested as it will be a backward step.
“What we need to do is give this committee the support they need and not to start fighting it because they came up with the idea for the good of all of us in Likoni, ” said Mr. Mwahima.
“If we break this committee today, who will bring us together tommorrow?” posed Mr. Mwahima.
Mr. Suleiman Shakombo had together with a section of those who attended the meeting questioned the rationale used to elect the office bearers of the Wamiji Forum saying there is need to have inclusive representation at all levels if the association is to have reasonable impact to the people of Likoni.
Mr. Shakombo who is expected to vie against Mr. Mwahima for the parliamentary seat in 2012 challenged the area MP to put the Kenya Ports Authority management to task over the alleged dumping of sludge by dredging vessels undertaking the deepening of the port from the bed of the Likoni channel to the Shelly beach neighbourhood.
Mr. Shahbal said there is need for leaders from each of the constituencies in the county to unite then face their colleagues in the other constituencies for consensus talks on how they will divide the available political offices that will come with the new devolved structure of government.
The politics of bootlicking where delegations approach the people in power to ask for favours for their people are over. We now want a situation where our leaders will embrace dialogue as equals and agree on equitable resource allocation for their people,” said Mr. Shahbal.
“The people we want to send to demand for our share of the national cake must be people who are in a position to put up reasonable arguments,” he added.
Mwahima on his part challenged fellow contestants for the Likoni seat saying if they all crowded on the parliamentary seat, the constituency will end up loosing all the top county seats to neighbouring constituency.
The leaders also called on Likoni residents to register as voters in order to be in a position to sway the outcome of the vote for the senators’ and governor’s seats.
A participant Ustadh Juma Bega criticized the constituency’s successive leaders for failing to honour their campaign promises once they are elected, a fact that he says has made voters lose faith in the electoral system and opted for joining illegal groupings like the MRC.
Others who spoke at the forum were Likoni parliamentary seat aspirant Mr. Hamisi Ali Domoko and Moi University don Prof Hamadi Boga who emphaisized on the importance of conducting civic education to the electorate so that they make informed choices during the oncoming elections.
The forum was chaired by former Likoni MP Mr. Khalif Mwavumbo.
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