COUNTY POLITICS: Why coast is a battleground for the top coalitions

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto concluded their visit of the Coast on Monday as the region becomes a major battle ground for the top coalitions ahead of the August vote.

The leaders re-launched the Mtongwe ferry services in Mombasa before inspecting and commissioning roads and water projects in Kwale and Kilifi counties.

The lack of a presidential candidate and the huge economic importance the region, with 1.5 million registered voters, has for the country has made it a priority for the top politicians.

Coast is key to the country’s economy due to tourism, the ports of Mombasa and Lamu, the Sh200 billion coal plant in Lamu, the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport corridor, various airports, vast land and minerals.

Key presidential aspirants have been making frequent visits to the six Coast counties to win over locals in an area that overwhelmingly backed ODM in the last election.

“One reason for the heightened political activity at the Coast is that the region does not seem to be decided on which way to go while other regions such as Nyanza, Central, Western and Rift Valley have decided their political direction,” said Prof Morris Mbondenyi, who is the dean, Africa Nazarene University Law School and a political analyst.

He said the Coast had traditionally voted with the government with its residents known to be peaceful people who dislike antagonism and valued comfort in remaining in government.

NEW HOPE

“But ODM changed this scenario in 2013, creating a wave with new ideologies and a fresh awakening of historical injustices, devolution and purported solutions to the nagging squatter problem which convinced the voter,” he said.

As a result, the Opposition swept the board in the 2013 polls because of the new hope and euphoria.

“But things have changed now. Jubilee is trying to reverse this trend through addressing the land problem by issuing title deeds, launching major projects all over the place and addressing marginalisation,” he said adding that the government is putting a strong foothold in the region and causing grassroots shift.

“Also, Mr James Orengo (Siaya Senator) was Lands minister in the coalition government but he did not solve the land issue. People have begun to ask themselves why. There is a lot of conversation among grassroots Coast who are now reasoning that you don’t have to be in ODM or Opposition to get solutions,” he added.

Masinde Muliro University political scientist Frank Matanga said the battle for the Coast vote has been heightened by the constitutional requirement that a presidential candidate must get 50 plus one votes to be declared winner.

'SWING VOTE'

“Some people have also argued that the Coast provides the swing vote and these activities by the top opponents is a power play. Nasa (National Super Alliance) has found favour because it promises fair distribution of resources and the absence of structural violence which simply means social justice,” he said.

Although the Coast has been in opposition in the past two elections, Jubilee wants to wrest it from its rivals but the opposition is not ready to let go, resulting in the fierce political battle.

Kwale ODM vice chairman Nicholas Zani argued that the fight was economical since the region was well endowed with resources – minerals, valuable land, beach plots and a blossoming tourism.

“ODM is a darling of the people because of its policies on devolution and fair distribution of resources,” he said.

According to Mr Zani, the scramble for Coast was because it did not have a presidential candidate and so, its 1.5 million votes were up for grabs. He added that the control of resources when one was in power also played a major role.

RIFT VALLEY

He said 57 per cent of the total allocated land in Kenya was in the Coast while Rift Valley had only 23 per cent. “This shows you how valuable the Coast land is and explains why everybody wants to control it,” he added.

Jubilee’s point man in Coast, Mr Gideon Mung’aro, said the region was fighting to be in government “where we will be decision makers, not decision takers”.

“We are fighting hard for our people to vote Jubilee which we know will form the next government. We want to be in it, to be at the serving table so that we are equal partners and shareholders,” said the Kilifi North MP.

He said in all the years the Coast had supported the Opposition, it had not received solutions to its problems.

Jubilee’s foray into the Coast, that has seen it win over several politicians into its fold with defections to the ruling party now the order of the day, is also the cause of the do or die battle being witnessed between the coalitions. “With this development, Jubilee sees there is an opportunity to grab a chunk of the 1.5 million votes and it is leaving nothing to chance,” said University of Nairobi political science lecturer Geoffreyson Khamala.

'BE DOOMED'

He said: “But the Opposition is not taking it lying down because should it let go of a region that has traditionally been its stronghold, it will be doomed. This battle is expected to intensify as we near the elections with Jubilee seeking to penetrate the region while Nasa fights to retain it”.

According to Mr Khamala, Jubilee Party stands to gain since they are confronting a divided Opposition that besides the thorny issue of nominations that plague both sides, they have not decided on their presidential candidate.

“Unlike Jubilee that is united as one party, Nasa has many parties, each of which has their own interests, a factor that is giving Jubilee an easy ride,” he said.

Jubilee Party supremos have been keen on dislodging their key critics in the region-Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Kilifi’s Amason Kingi. Businessman Suleiman Shahbal and his running mate Anania Mwaboza are being fronted to dethrone Mr Joho while Mr Mung’aro who has poached Mr Kingi’s deputy Kennedy Kamto to be his number two, is to square it out with Mr Kingi.

Jubilee has also received a boost following Lamu Governor Issa Timamy and Tana River’s Hussein Dado’s move to back President Kenyatta for a second term.

RULING PARTY

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya, MPs Zainab Chidzuga, Mustafa Iddi, Masoud Mwahima, Taita-Taveta Senator Dan Mwazo, woman representative Joyce Lay and Mombasa deputy governor Hazel Katana have also shifted allegiance from ODM to the ruling party.

Apart from President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto who have been camping at the Coast nearly monthly to plead with locals to back them, Nasa principals Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula have also been making frequent forays to consolidate their support.

Mr Musyoka was in Kilifi at the weekend to campaign for Wiper party and Nasa. Nasa sees the region as its stronghold.

The visits by President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to market Jubilee and to dish out various goodies have left tongues wagging.

Mr Joho, who has been a major critic of the Jubilee administration and at times exchanged bitter words with its leaders, is seen as a key Nasa point man at the Coast and a political kingpin.

The six Coast counties are Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River and Taita-Taveta.