Mwaboza, Shahbal lock horns over new Jubilee Party offices

Mombasa governor aspirant Suleiman Shahbal addresses journalists at Tononoka grounds in Mombasa on November 17, 2016. Mr Shahbal is seen as Jubilee Party’s frontrunner. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Mwaboza, a former Kisauni MP, further accused Mr Shahbal of using his financial might to edge him out of the race.
  • The two aspirants are battling for the party’s nomination ticket as they seek to unseat Governor Hassan Joho in next year’s polls.

Two Jubilee aspirants for the Mombasa governorship seat have clashed over the opening of the party’s offices.

Former Assistant minister Ananiah Mwaboza accused Mr Suleiman Shahbal, a businessman who was appointed to Jubilee Party’s presidential campaign team, of opening the party’s offices in Nyali without involving other Jubilee members.

Mr Mwaboza, a former Kisauni MP, further accused Mr Shahbal of using his financial might to edge him out of the race, saying the businessman was lobbying the party’s leadership to prevail upon him to step down in his favour.

“Nairobi, which is our headquarters, is the only Jubilee office we have in Kenya. A time is coming when we will open an office and recruit staff,” Mr Mwaboza told his supporters at Jawambe Hotel at the weekend.

The two aspirants are battling for the party’s nomination ticket as they seek to unseat Governor Hassan Joho in next year’s polls.

However, Mr Shahbal said he saw no harm in opening party offices and dismissed as false and misleading Mr Mwaboza’s claims that he had lobbied the President and his deputy to have the former MP step down. 

“I want to open more offices in every constituency to spread the party’s popularity," he said.

“Everybody is welcome and we have no fight. This is democracy and competition is healthy. I have not asked the President or his deputy to have him step down for me,” he told the Nation.

FALSE CLAIMS

He asked Jubilee members to focus on winning all the elective seats in the county and avoid uncalled for wrangles and differences that would impact negatively on this objective.

“I was given the mandate by the President to ensure we clinch all seats. These are petty divisions and politics. Let us meet at the nominations,” he added.

Mr Shahbal, who lost the governor’s seat to Mr Joho in the 2013 elections, is seen as the party’s frontrunner.

However, Mr Mwaboza said nothing would stop him from running for the county’s top seat.

He added that he would fight tooth and nail with the businessman to clinch the party’s nomination ticket.

“We will fight it out to the end. Should he win, I will back him and if I win, I will expect him to reciprocate,” he said.