Elections for Mombasa Jubilee Party officials finally held after day of chaos

The Mombasa County Jubilee Party elections of interim officials finally took place amidst tight security at the School of Government Wednesday evening after a delay of more than 12 hours characterised by chaos.

The chaos that marred the elections as two groups allied to opponent groups was not there in the evening as GSU and regular police officers took charge.

The group allied to Suleiman Shahball led by Matano Chengo carried the day after the opposing group allied to Ananiah Mwaboza left the venue. It was led by Mr Ali Mwatsahu.

Mr Chengo was elected the county chairman, Mr Patrick Kabundu the secretary, Mr Maamun Abubakar treasurer and Ms Amina Abdalla the organising secretary.

In his maiden speech, Mr Chengo said he will re-organise the party by embracing the opposing group and cement Jubilee’s position in Mombasa, a strong ODM zone, to win seats in the 2017 general elections.

“We will work with everybody. We will form grassroots committees with membership from both groups because we know it is only through unity that we will be able to deliver seats for Jubilee,” he said.

Former Changamwe MP Ramadhan Kajembe hailed the new team and urged it to deliver and remove the notion that Mombasa and the Coast is an ODM zone.

ODM ERA GONE

A Jubilee parliamentary aspirant for Mvita Constituency, Mohamed Thenge, declared that the era of ODM dominance in Mombasa is over.

“The era of ODM with its sultans is over. You claim that you are the sultan when people are poor, feeding on maandazi (burns) and mbaazi. This has come to an end. We warn ODM that we are coming,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the elections were disrupted with the Mwaboza and Shahbal groups clashing and creating chaos leading to their being evicted from the Kenya School of Government and Mombasa Women Hall by security officers.

A lorry and a Land cruiser full of GSU and Administration Police officers manned the gates barring any none-officials from accessing the hall.

Only delegates, aspirants and the media were allowed into the voting hall.

The elections were done through consensus with a candidate being proposed and seconded for a certain position.

They were conducted by former TNA Secretary-General Onyango Oloo.

“After hitches, confusion and chaos which interrupted the elections during the day, we finally restored peace and completed this important exercise.

“It is a national election for our party and [it] marks the beginning of our structuring ahead of the general election next year,” said Mr Oloo.