Battle for senatorial seat lights up quiet Lamu

Lamu Senator Abu Chiaba (left) and Governor Issa Timamy before the National Cohesion and Integration Committee at County Hall on July 17, 2014. Mr Chiaba lost in the Jubilee Party nomination. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Some of the aspirants have devised new strategies of ensuring they win in the August 8 General Election.
  • Mr Albeity says if elected, he will strongly work towards ending corruption.

The crowded Lamu County senatorial race provides recipe for a hot political battle that has perhaps not been witnessed in the usually quiet county, known more for its colourful international cultural festivals.

The Lamu archipelago is also famous for tourism, art and craft, a global center for curved wooden doors and windows.

But in the coming three or so months, attention will shift from the traditions, dhow and donkey races, to heated political campaigns as candidates lock horns for the various coveted seats from that of governor to the member of county assembly (MCA).

CHIABA LOSES
The mother of all battles is set to be witnessed in the race for the Senate.

Eight candidates are lined up to fill the position left by long serving politician, Abu Chiaba, who left the scene disgracefully after losing to a little known minnow - Anwar Loitiptip - in the Jubilee primary.

The senatorial seat has attracted the highest number of candidates apart from the MCA position, which has more than 30 contestants seeking to represent the 10 wards.

NO WOMAN CONTESTANT
The eight men lined up to battle it out for the senate post include Mr Loitiptip, Lamu County Assembly Speaker, also former Lamu East MP and assistant Minister in the Kanu regime Mohamed Hashim (ANC), former chairman of the defunct County Council of Lamu, Mr Hassan Albeity of Wiper, who is taking a second shot after he was defeated in 2013, and youthful former county Director of Revenue Abdalla Shelali (ODM).

In the lineup are also Lamu-born Nairobi-based Lawyer David Mwaure Waihiga of Agano Party of Kenya, Mr Micah Ng’ang’a Githuka of Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), Major (retired) Mohdhar Ali (Safina Party of Kenya) and businessman Abdulrahman Aboud vying as an independent candidate.

There is no single woman candidate not only in the senate race but also the gubernatorial and parliamentary races after the only candidate in the senatorial race, Ms Monica Njambi Kirunyu (Jubilee Party), lost during the primaries.

POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Some of the aspirants have devised new strategies of ensuring they win in the August 8 General Election.

A surprising emerging trend among the candidates is that they tend to align themselves to bigwigs from different political parties with established influence in the local political arena, irrespective of whether they are in the same party or not.

In a weird twist of events, for instance, is that of Mr Albeity who is vying on a Wiper ticket under the Nasa coalition, but has joined forces with the Jubilee gubernatorial aspirant Fahim Twaha.

This is seen by many as the latter’s efforts to ride on the established image and political influence of Mr Twaha who seems to command quite an audience in the local politics.

UNIFIED LAMU
Mr Albeity has openly been seen accompanying Mr Twaha on his campaign trail and public appearances where he often takes to the podium to speak in favour of Twaha while also drumming up support for himself.

Mr Albeity says if elected, he will work towards building a harmonious county where the economy and social relations thrive.

“My other strong point is to promote co-existence among all tribes and religions in Lamu.

"Discrimination of any kind will face a lot of opposition from me as the county is cosmopolitan.

"With the coming of the new port, all races and religions must have a home in Lamu County,” he says.

DECAMPS FROM JUBILEE
Promoting a conducive environment for investment is his other ambition.

He argues that when wealth is brought to the area, many direct and indirect employment opportunities will be created, thus uplifting the residents’ economic power.

On the other hand, Mr Hashim, an ardent Jubilee supporter defected from the party even before its primaries to Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), which hosts incumbent Governor Issa Timamy.

Since then, Mr Hashim has been seen with the governor in all his public functions, a tactic critics observe as a strategy to enable him clinch the senatorial seat come the August 8 polls.

ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
For the youthful Loitiptip, the fact that he played a David and Goliath act to knock out the giant Chiaba gives him an extra bonus and the much needed mileage.

“I will take advantage of my age to convince the youth, who are a majority in the county, to elect me.

"Defeating the incumbent Chiaba is just the beginning of a much bigger triumph to come. I am confident of becoming the second senator in Lamu County come August 8,” he said.
Aspirants Micah Ng’ang’a Githuka and Abdulrahman Aboud are not first timers at the ballot.

They tried their luck for the same position in the 2013 General Election but lost to the incumbent.

DEVOLUTION DEFENDER
For Lawyer Waihiga Mwaure, switching from the gubernatorial race where he emerged second runners up in 2013 to the senatorial one seems to assure him of a soft landing.

“My objective is to employ my legal experience to ensure the people of Lamu are fully represented in the senate and also ensure the resources in the county are well guarded,” he said.

Mr Abdalla Shelali said he will defend devolution at all costs and also ensure more money trickles down from the national government to the county in budgetary allocations; in order to pave way for enhanced development.

Major (Rtd) Mohdhar Ali, who worked in the Kenya Defense Forces from 1991 to 2008 says he will use his military experience to ensure the people of Lamu are fully involved by their leaders in the agenda of development including security matters, to enable a smooth sailing of affairs, something he says the current senator has completely failed to achieve.